The American Chestnut FoundationÕs Breeding Program for Blight Resistance

Frederick V. Hebard, William Y. C. White & Shawn Yarnes
Meadowview Research Farms
14005 Glenbrook Ave.
Meadowview, VA 24361 USA
http://www.acffarms.org
Slide 2
Backcrossing
More than one American chestnut line also is needed, also to avoid inbreeding, when B3s are intercrossed with each other.
Slide 4
Sources of Blight Resistance
Our primary source of blight resistance is Chinese chestnut, because that was identified as the most resistant species by the USDA in the 1930s.  No resistance was known in American chestnut until the 1980s.  We also have a few crosses with Japanese and European chestnut.  C. henryi and C. sequinii also may have individuals with high resistance, based on recent observations in China.

Number of Trees at Meadowview in 2008
TACF Meadowview Nut Harvest 2008
Slide 8
Selection for Recurrent Type
Trichome density and type
Stipule size and shape
Leaf shape
Tooth shape
Lenticel density, size and color
Stem color
Form
Time of leaf emergence
Vigor

Slide 10
Slide 11
"Table 1."
Table 1.  Number of trees in canker size classes in 1993.
Cross Type                              Size Class (cm)                                   _________
1.0-2.6 2.6-4.2 4.2-5.8 5.8-7.4 7.4-9.0 9.0-10.6 10.6-
______________________________________________________________________________
American 3 5 2
F1 Nanking 2 4 3
Seedling Chinese 2 7 3
Meiling Chinese 1 2 2
Nanking Chinese 3 2
F2 Mahogany 0 5 23 48 48 29 15
B1-F2 ClapperxGraves  4 25 84 116 112 54 4
______________________________________________________________________________
Table 2.  Number of trees in canker size classes in 2003.
Cross Type                              Size Class (cm)                                      __________
1.0-2.0 2.0-3.0 3.0-4.0 4.0-5.0 5.0-6.0 6.0-7.0 7.0-8.0
________________________________________________________________________________
American 4 2 2 2 1
F1 Nanking 1 2 3 1
Chinese 3 3 3 6
B2-F2 Clapper 3 11 15 37 16 12 3
B2-F2 Mahogany 3 11 21 31 14 14 1
________________________________________________________________________________

Chestnut Blight Resistance Rating Scheme
Slide 14
Blight-resistant Chinese to American B1-F2, ÔClapperÕ x ÔGraves.Õ

Obtaining trees like this suggests it should be possible to backcross the blight resistance of Chinese into American chestnut.
Slide 16