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Breeding science: A new way to weed out bad apples Improving the taste, colour, and disease resistance of apple varieties will now be easier, thanks to a set of genetic markers that can be used to select the best individuals to breed. Although many crop genomes have been sequenced, the information must be translated into inexpensive and easy-to-use tests for particular traits before it is practical to apply it in breeding programs. David Chagné at The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research and co-workers have developed a set of markers for apple trees that indicate fruit quality, and disease and pest resistance. Using these markers, breeders will be able to peer inside the genomes of parent and offspring trees to determine whether or not they possess desirable traits. This approach shows promise to improve breeding programs for apples and other crops.