The Problem With Darling 58
The fight to save America’s iconic tree has become a civil war.
nymag.com
I really enjoyed article about progress of saving American Chestnut, little long but worth it
Update on saving American Chestnut
- Thread starter KY wild
- Start date
nymag.com
I really enjoyed article about progress of saving American Chestnut, little long but worth it
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
I wouldn't give up hope on a GMO blight resistant chestnut. CRISPR wasn't around when they were first transforming the original Darling lines. It should be much easier (and cheaper) to insert the same blight resistant gene. The biggest hurdle at this point will be regaining trust and eventually momentum with funding a new round of research.
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American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation
The American Chestnut Cooperators' Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to breeding a pure American chestnut tree and restoring it to the native range in the Eastern United States.
accf-online.org
ACCF trees originated from two original blight survivors called Floyd and Gault.
Pics are below of those 2 trees.
Progeny has been produced and distributed to growers who have trees like this.
Pure American Chestnut at High Altitude with Durable Blight Resistance/Control
Dr. Gary Griffin and Dr. John Rush Elkins, November 2019
Dr. Gary Griffin and Dr. John Rush Elkins, November 2019
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
I have shown photos of this tree in one of these threads in the past, but I took this photo today of an American chestnut in St Paul, MN. This was the smaller of at least two that were originally planted by the founder of the American Chestnut Foundation who was a University of Minnesota plant breeder. The other tree was much larger before it showed any signs of blight. You can see the scars on the bark for this one. Unfortunately, there are no other pollinizers around, so this tree just makes a bunch of empty burs.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
Genetically engineered chestnut tree, grown in Syracuse, moves one step closer to release -
www.syracuse.com
Genetically engineered chestnut tree, grown in Syracuse, moves one step closer to release
SUNY ESF's transgenic American chestnut tree could help save the tree from the brink of extinction.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
If memory serves, chestnut blight pathogen was brought here from Europe years ago. Many of today's pests / pathogens - both insect and disease - are from offshore sources.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
What's interesting about this line is that it is a different Darling accession. I would be curious to know how many trees of this line have been planted in the wild and how long they have been in the ground, and the steps they are taking to ensure it is what they think it is. The original intent was to modify the American genetics to introduce blight resistance and then allow those genes to cross with other native wild Americans.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
East Asia: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6638123/
I believe chestnut blight can be vectored by insects, but it is mainly spread by moving infected wood (inoculum) and by wind. I know that in the Pacific Northwest, they have very low blight pressure, and can grow blight intolerant European cultivars fairly well. In the NE, where it is more humid, has higher blight pressure. So it is definitely a function of at least weather or climate.
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