Public Comment is Open for Transgenic Darling 58 American Chestnut

[tullybonnie11]

I don't recall seeing this posted on this forum yet, but here is the link to submit a comment (due by October 19th, 2020) on your thoughts on the approval of the transgenic American chestnut tree that SUNY ESF in New York has created:

Public Comment for Transgenic American Chestnut

Consider adding a comment in an effort to allow this blight-resistant tree to be approved by the proper federal agencies and eventually be restored to its native range over the course of the next century. The transgenic tree will require pollination from wild-type American chestnuts in order to produce fertile nuts, however. If approved, the Darling 58 (the blight-resistant tree) will not produce viable nuts on its own from what I understand.

If you are unaware of the work that has been done in an effort to create a blight-resistant American chestnut tree, give the following video a watch:

American Chestnut ESF Project

 

[Troubles Trees]

I became a member of TACF last year strictly for the purpose of supporting this project in any way I can. I was supposed to get American Chestnuts seeds this spring but Covid happened and shut everything down. I haven't heard a peep since but in all fairness I have a few different Chestnuts planted already and am not an ideal candidate due to cross pollination concerns.
Thank you for the information though bud, I did go to the link and leave a comment in support of this getting pushed through.

 

[Apple Junkie]

Thanks for the heads-up Tullybonnie11. This is critical work and I relayed my support for their efforts.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Darling 58 | The American Chestnut Foundation

tacf.org

I am not sure if anyone has been following the latest with the Darling line of GMO chestnuts, but there has been quite a bit of drama. Apparently several different University and Foundation labs have found several issues of blight intolerance with multiple variants of the Darling 58. You can read about it in the above link. It is not at all clear what's going to happen now. It seems incredibly unfortunate that it was so late in the approval process to have found these issues.

I'm still going to be growing out a bunch of American chestnuts on just the remote possibility of someday being able to graft a GMO strain onto.

 

[Teeder]

That's disappointing.

 

[omicron1792]

Count me as disappointed too.

I have found this place through the ACCF. Had a long talk with the owner and they have some 3rd generation seedlings right now that are claimed to be blight tolerant. Apparently 60-70% of the trees you plant will be blight tolerant. I have 10 en route.

If you grow those, cull the 30% that are not tolerant, and get reproduction between siblings they are expecting 98% of 4th generation to be blight tolerant. They currently have their 4th generation seeds in genetic testing. They will pay you 1$ per seed of 4th generation you send back for native repopulation. Not my goal but kind of cool.

American Chestnut – Go Native Trees

www.gonativetrees.com

I belong to TACF and ACCF. I have been more on the TACF side but I’m changing. TACF has tried back cross for a while with Chinese, then hopped all over gmo.

ACCF has spent all their time with 100% native and crossing the best ones. It’s a 50-100 year process but seems to be the best long term play.

Home - American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation

www.accf-chestnut.org

 

[RGrizzzz]

I belong to TACF and ACCF. I have been more on the TACF side but I’m changing. TACF has tried back cross for a while with Chinese, then hopped all over gmo.

That's simply not true. The ACF is looking at all possible options, and has plans to possibly combine outcomes of the different avenues. They explained all the angles they are working on the 12/15 chestnut chat. The press just tends to cover certain things more than others. (GMO) Watch the end of this month's call. (Video coming soon https://tacf.org/chestnut-chat/)

 

[omicron1792]

That's simply not true. The ACF is looking at all possible options, and has plans to possibly combine outcomes of the different avenues. They explained all the angles they are working on the 12/15 chestnut chat. The press just tends to cover certain things more than others. (GMO) Watch the end of this month's call. (Video coming soon https://tacf.org/chestnut-chat/)

What else are they supposed to say now? “We messed up, closing up shop.”

Yeah, they put eggs in one basket and lost. That’s fine. I still think GMO is cool and will be helpful in future. But to back a government release then have to rescind it is not a good look.

Btw, I was on that chat too….

 

[RGrizzzz]

What else are they supposed to say now? “We messed up, closing up shop.”

Yeah, they put eggs in one basket and lost. That’s fine. I still think GMO is cool and will be helpful in future. But to back a government release then have to rescind it is not a good look.

Btw, I was on that chat too….

They never stopped doing multiple lines of work. Their eggs were never "in one basket".

If you really listened, "our first (GMO) try didn't work out" was the message. GMO certainly still has lots of potential as one possible tool. It's absolutely a bummer that we thought we were closer than we were, but I'd bet the house that there will be a GMO American Chestnut "restoration tree" in my lifetime.

 

[omicron1792]

They never stopped doing multiple lines of work. Their eggs were never "in one basket".

If you really listened, "our first (GMO) try didn't work out" was the message. GMO certainly still has lots of potential as one possible tool. It's absolutely a bummer that we thought we were closer than we were, but I'd bet the house that there will be a GMO American Chestnut "restoration tree" in my lifetime.

Easy tiger. I disagree. It’s fine. You’re not arguing with someone that doesn’t know. I’m a member too. I have two mother orchards on my property.

 

[Telemark]

Did this crash and burn?

 

[omicron1792]

Did this crash and burn?

Yep. Inserted gene was on wrong spot. And oxo gene being on all the time weakened seedling making it less competitive in the wild. Field trials all showed poor results. They should have waited till field testing and not just greenhouse to file government waiver. You live and you learn.

 

[RGrizzzz]

What omicron said plus:

There was an issue with the OxO gene randomly silencing (turning off) in the offspring trees due to the chosen gene promoter. They expected it would get worse with future generations of child trees.

Also the offspring trees receiving both copies of the OxO gene were not able to survive at all.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Looks like there's some additional commentary from the NY Chapter of the TACF regarding the Darling efforts.

TLDR: They don't agree with the TACF findings/conclusions because they were only observed in trees at Purdue, which SUNY didn't supply the nuts for, as well as an audit of the Purdue study not having been completed yet.

https://mcusercontent.com/7a31e9c15b711ba08473c6a18/files/654b80d8-36e0-bac2-fe57-1b62157779c5/NY_Chapter_message_to_members_final_3_20_24_4_.pdf

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Looks like there's some additional commentary from the NY Chapter of the TACF regarding the Darling efforts.

TLDR: They don't agree with the TACF findings/conclusions because they were only observed in trees at Purdue, which SUNY didn't supply the nuts for, as well as an audit of the Purdue study not having been completed yet.

https://mcusercontent.com/7a31e9c15b711ba08473c6a18/files/654b80d8-36e0-bac2-fe57-1b62157779c5/NY_Chapter_message_to_members_final_3_20_24_4_.pdf

Spicy.

This whole thing has been a mess. All of us that are on the sidelines can probably do little more than grab a bag of popcorn, and of course plant some American chestnut seedlings just in case.

 

[Teeder]

... Or just go back to planting oaks.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Spicy.

This whole thing has been a mess. All of us that are on the sidelines can probably do little more than grab a bag of popcorn, and of course plant some American chestnut seedlings just in case.

They should have worked out their differences/objections before taking their messages public. I believe SUNY is still working through the deregulation process, so you might get something from the effort sooner than what the national TACF indicated in January.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

... Or just go back to planting oaks.

Doing that anyways...

I'm excited about it from a plant diversity standpoint.

 

[Teeder]

Oh, I was too, but I don't care for the drama.

 

[Rubee]

If I remember correctly, several times over the last few decades scientists have raised hopes of a viable disease resistant American chestnut tree. They all failed and died after a few years growth.