American chestnut darling 58 update..

[G-man]

Trying to get approval for mass pollination from epa.

We did get a recent news that approval is not going to be in time for unpermitted pollination this season. This is what Andy Newhouse recently wrote when the question came up: "I'll add an update from ESF: This news is coming from the EPA - they are saying their delays are due to understaffing, and also presumably because this is a completely unique product that's unlike anything they've reviewed before. Their reviews are proceeding, and they've unofficially hinted that they might be done by late fall of this year, but they haven't given us a firm date and we're still trying to sort out details and conditions. We'll share more details when we learn them!"

 

Basically why this is not as early as we had hoped with the new timeline, it is currently not truly measurably later than earlier how long we were told by regulators it could end up taking. If the approval does happen around that timeframe, it won't end up impacting the distribution of Darling 58 nuts from SUNY ESF or other TACF involved chapters (or the national organization) currently engaged in controlled pollination this season under permit much in practice.

[Belo]

G-man can you link me to what you're discussing? I've read a lot about chestnuts lately and thought the american chestnut was no longer viable due to the blight? Is this a new blight resistant strain? My understanding is that most of what we have now are Chinese hybrids. 

[escpen]

I believe ESF has developed a new "strain" of American Chestnut using genetic modification techniques.  Would be great to have American Chestnuts on the landscape again, even if it's only for our kids and future generations to benefit from.

[G-man]

2 hours ago, Belo said:

G-man can you link me to what you're discussing? I've read a lot about chestnuts lately and thought the american chestnut was no longer viable due to the blight? Is this a new blight resistant strain? My understanding is that most of what we have now are Chinese hybrids. 

Esf has a genetically modifyed pure american  that is 100% viable . But to mass distribute it they need fda approval.  This keeps all the characteristics of 100% american and is blight free.  The american chestnut foundation in ny is promary driver behind this the national level is stillattempting back crosses that are marginal at best. 

Herb darling  out of buffalo wa huge supposrter of esf  in its research and thus the new strain is named after him   was the 58th attempt at gene splicing for resistance.  

This is huge as results could save the ash tree from emerald ash borer and maples from asian longhorn beatle. As well as elm trees from dutch elm. 

[G-man]

https://www.esf.edu/chestnut/index.php

[escpen]

https://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/2023/06/a-cny-scientists-work-might-change-the-world-but-he-might-not-live-long-enough-to-see-it-happen.html

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by escpen

[blackbeltbill]

I used to read alot on the history of the chestnut.  

  Some writers put the Population  of the Wild Turkey at 10 million plus before the damn blight killed most of the absolutely  huge Beautiful  chestnuts with their enormous  nut harvest. Enough for people  and animals alike from just 1 mature chestnut.

   The white oak acorns is a poor substitute  for chestnuts..

[Buckmaster7600]

Next time you’re up here stop at toadflax nursery it’s off exit 17 on rt9. They’ll have exactly what you need and all the knowledge you can ask for.

[Bucksnbows]

I look forward to the eventual reintroduction of American chestnuts. The land I manage for a buddy and hunt in Sparta, NJ had a well documented 90% coverage of chestnuts. Today, it is primarily an oak/hickory forest. It’s amazing to think that 9 of every 10 trees was a mast producing chestnut.  And this is our fourth straight year with precious little to no acorn mast production. Late frosts and droughts have been brutal of late.