¥ C x A
¥       ø
¥   F1 x A
¥              ø
¥      B1 x A
¥                     ø
¥         B2 x A
¥                            ø
¥            B3 x B3
¥                                    ø
¥                    B3-F2 x B3-F2
¥                                              ø
¥                          B3-F3
Expected Proportion
Chinese
1/2

1/4

1/8

1/16

1/16

1/16
Year Cross Made
1930s

1940s

1989-1995

1994-2002

1999-2009(estimate

2005-
Backcrossing
¥First, American and Chinese chestnut trees are crossed with each other.
¥The progeny from this first cross are then backcrossed to American chestnut.
¥Each cycle of backcrossing reduces the fraction of Chinese genes by a factor of one half.
¥Finally, backcrosses are intercrossed to yield progeny that will breed true.
¥Blight resistance is retained by inoculating progeny and selecting resistant ones.
More than one American parent is used at each backcross to avoid inbreeding.  One set of American parents constitutes a line, the different Americans are denoted A1 to A4 below.
¥C  x A1
¥ø
¥F1 x A2
¥ø
¥B1 x A3
¥ø
¥B2 x A4
¥ø
¥B3