ADVANCEMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN DISEASE RESISTANT APPLE BREEDING PROGRAM BY COOPERATION WITH USA PROGRAMS

The Australian disease-resistant apple breeding program has been condu cted at Stanthorpe since 1984. High fruit quality and resistance to Ve nturia inaequalis and Podosphaera leucotricha are the joint aims. Visi ts in 1984 and 1991, by fruit breeders from the USA breeding programs, and germplasm exchanges have advanced the program. A cooperative poll ination project in 1993 enabled advanced disease resistant cultivars f rom the USA to be incorporated into the program. Seventy-five thousand seedlings have been screened for disease resistance and are being eva luated for fruit quality.