University of Copenhagen holds a gene bank of app. 800 apple cultivars. In order
to breed new, robust apple cultivars, we invited volunteers to participate in
a “Crowd-breeding project” in 2013.
136 people sowed out 10.000 open pollinated apple seeds from the 54 most robust
and tasty cultivars of Danish origin from the gene bank.
In 2019, we visited the 45 growers, who had succeeded in growing trees.
1422 trees were screened, and 54 % was rated very robust towards the diseases
scab, mildew, cancer and Elsinoe fruit and leaf spot. 11 % was discharged due
to diseases. Only 5 % of the trees got fruits in 2019. 39 % of the 33 tested fruits
had a good or very good taste.
We evaluate the trees again in 2020, and a final selection is done in 2023.