The goal of apple breeding at ACW is to obtain fruit with outstanding fruit and tree quality. We develop apple varieties which can be easily cultivated, in an environmentally sound manner. These high quality products are intended to satisfy the requirements of consumers, producers and the market. New varieties with long-term and maximum resistance to disease are developed. Resistance is needed against fungal diseases such as scab and mildew, and dangerous bacterial diseases such as fire blight. The selection of promising seedlings takes place in the greenhouse (scab and fire blight resistance) and in the field (mildew resistance, fruit quality). We also use molecular markers to determine the presence or absence of resistance genes. This technique is particularly valuable for verifying crossed combined resistance to a disease based on several genes.