Blighted Trees!

Back-crossed American chestnut trees were evaluated in a Louisville area orchard recently after having being inoculated with chestnut blight earlier this year. An earlier blog discusses and shows photos of the inoculation day.

Blight evaluation - this is a first round of evaluating how the blight is affecting the trees.  Well, actually, it is more about evaluating how the trees are reacting to having the blight.  Some show little to no resistance, while others show active "fighting" of this invader.  That "fight" is what is being looked for!

Above:  TACF Southeast Regional Science Coordinator, Tom Saielli, evaluates inoculated Louisville area chestnut trees for resistance.

Above:  KY-TACF President, Lynn Garrison, records blight resistance evaluation data.

Above:  A blighted back-crossed 15/16th American chestnut tree shows some resistance to blight.

This initial evaluation is a start to selecting only a few trees from the several hundred within the orchard that will be bred forward in order to develop Restoration Chestnut 1.0 nuts for test planting in the woods of Kentucky.  These trees will have genetics from Kentucky, so should be well adapted to our environment.

Louisville Branch members and other interested parties will be heading out into the woods on December 14 to search for surviving American chestnut trees and stump sprouts in the Horine Reservation of Jefferson Memorial Forest.  Email kchacha@yahoo.com if you are interested in joining in on the search.  If local material is found, it would be wonderful to add it to the KY-TACF State Chapter's breeding program!

A morning that started with sunshine and chill in the air quickly changed to an overcast late morning. However, being in an orchard of beautiful chestnut trees in the fall made it seem that warmth was coming directly from the ground.  Seeing blighted trees does not glimmer the greatest hope, but seeing blighted chestnut trees that are showing resistance to this invader makes hope shine like high noon on a clear day in mid-summer!

These trees will, again, be evaluated next spring.  Additional evaluations will take place once resistant trees are identified within the orchard.  Other traits, such as American characteristics (straight trunk/single leader, fast growth, etc) will be included until only a handful of trees will meet minimal requirements to move forward in the breeding program.  The other trees will be "culled from the herd," if you will, or might even be utilized to "clone" the highly desirable trees to the living stumps by grafting.  This will multiply future nut production of the highly resistant/desirable trees.

A fall look down the rows of a Louisville area American chestnut breeding orchard.

Newsworthy:  On January 25, 2014, at The Bard's Town on Bardstown Road, the Louisville Branch of KY-TACF will be hosting a fundraiser for area chestnut activities.  Live bluegrass music will be played by Millers Folly Bluegrass Band www.millersfolly.com, there will be TACF and local activity information available, plan on getting some 50/50 raffle tickets, because the drawing will take place this night, great food and beverages will be available and the fun is just an added bonus!  Part of the fundraising activities will include a $5 cover at the door.  This will be going to chestnut activities, not to the business.  So, be sure to tip your wait staff!  Mark your calendar now and plan to head to the Highlands area on Bardstown Road on January 25, 2014, from 6:30 PM until 10:00 PM!

Questions, an interest in getting involved or want to see some chestnut trees growing in Louisville?  Email Keith at kchacha@yahoo.com for more information!

Blighting the Chestnut Trees

Adding blight to healthy American chestnut trees, through inoculation, seems counter-productive and makes little or no sense!  However, that is what was done with a 5 - 6 year old chestnut orchard not far from Louisville on the morning of June 22, 2013.  Nearly 165 trees were infected with chestnut blight, which included potentially blight resistant American trees, Chinese trees, pure American trees (no resistance) and half American/half Chinese trees.  This variety of trees provides for a "control" to measure against when determining blight resistance.

Healthy 15/16th American chestnut trees soon to be blighted.  (Photo by Ed Fredrickson.)

So, why would anyone want to intentionally blight these apparently healthy and nut producing trees?  As questionable as this sounds, the answer truly is, "to save the trees!"

TACF Southeastern Regional Science Coordinator, Tom Saielli, inoculates the first tree in the orchard. (Photo by Ed Fredrickson.)

Huh?  Please clarify!  Okay, here is the deal (short version).  These trees have been back-cross bred for blight resistance.  Not all of these trees will demonstrate high resistance, so they need to be "tested" to find out which ones carry the most resistance within their genetics.  Those that do will carry forward with breeding to eventually provide offspring that will be placed back into our Kentucky woods to naturally reproduce, compete, and fulfill the former niche provided by American chestnut trees!

There are two genetic lines represented in this orchard, with about 70 trees of each.  They have all been given two doses of different strains of chestnut blight.  The inoculation points (holes punched through the bark, blight added, taped over to "seal" it in) will produce "sores" on the trees.  Some will show resistance to these infections by attempting to heal over the "sores."  Others will completely fail, so will die.  Measurements will determine which trees show good resistance and which ones should be "culled from the herd."  Yes, those that fail will not be allowed to continue in the breeding process.

Ultimately, it is hoped that 5 or 6 trees from each genetic line will "pass" the resistance evaluation and will be allowed to naturally breed across the two lines.  Then, the nuts produced from these trees will be used through a similar process with another unrelated genetic line that "passed" a similar test.  The offspring of this next generation (in 5 or 6+ years) will be considered "Restoration Chestnut 1.0" trees, so will be ready for out-testing in forested conditions to see how they compete, how they resist natural blight and other vectors and may well be some of the future "redwoods of the East" that we read about in books, diaries and other documentation of how American chestnut trees used to be throughout our Eastern US woods.

Interested in helping with the American chestnut program in the Louisville area?  It isn't all work, as some of it is a lot of fun!  You could help follow up on a report of a chestnut tree out in the woods, such as in Jefferson Memorial Forest, at Otter Creek or on someone's private land.  Maybe you would rather help write a news release of ongoing activities within the Louisville area?  Maybe you can only occasionally participate, so would like to water growing trees within the Louisville area every couple of weeks as a "chestnut steward?"  Well, come on, get involved to help revive this tree!  Comment on this blog or send an email to Keith at kchacha@yahoo.com and we'll get you involved!  All assistance is appreciated and accepted!  Even if you can only assist monetarily, that is greatly needed, as well!

A "chestnut steward" is providing care for the four tree grove of chestnut trees located out front of the Louisville Nature Center.  The rain hasn't stopped since watering devices were installed (after photo was taken).  (Photo by this blogger.)

Learn more about efforts to restore the American chestnut tree at www.acf.org.

Be sure to check all postings at http://louisvillechestnut.blogspot.com/ for the Louisville Chestnut Trees blog!

Pure American Chestnut Trees

Some people think that pure American chestnut trees have been extirpated.  Actually, this is not the case.  The Asian blight kills the stem of the trees, but does not kill the root system.  Chestnut is a prolific sprouter, so once the stem is killed new sprouts come up off of the existing root system.  Depending on the conditions, such as available sun light and competition, sometimes these new sprouts will survive long enough to flower and form burs.  If other chestnut trees are also flowering in the area, then viable nuts may be produced.

Efforts are ongoing to find these sprouting trees out "in the wild!"  I had the opportunity to help do some searching for stump sprouts this past winter in the Green River Lake area, but we had no success.  We did find some Chinese chestnut trees in Green County, but we were looking for pure American trees.

When found, these remnant American trees are utilized within the breeding program of The American Chestnut Foundation.  This adds local genetics to the "pool" so that there are regional sources to put back out in the woods, once the time comes to do that.

There are pure American trees growing here in the Louisville area.  Plus, some individuals, as well as local TACF folks, continue to grow, plant, breed, and search for American chestnut trees in our area/region.

Here is a pure American chestnut within the city limits of Louisville that is doing quite well.

This tree was planted in 2006 and the photo was taken on September 9, 2012.  The tree is over 20 feet tall and appears to be in good health.  I suspect this tree will flower this year, so some help may be provided to this tree (with pollen from another tree) to help it produce some viable nuts (it becomes a "mother tree").  A couple of other trees in the area that are still surviving do not look as good.  They had been over-topped by competing vegetation, had vines weighing them down and were just not nearly as nice as this tree.  Efforts were made to knock back the competition and these trees will be tended to a bit more in 2013.

Some folks are growing their own pure American seedlings to out-plant on private property, share with neighbors and are keeping the genetics growing out on the land.  Here are some happy pure American chestnut seedlings enjoying NOT having to be out in the continuing cold March weather!

These seedlings will be planted once the danger of frost has passed.

One thing about growing pure American chestnut trees - that is that they will eventually succumb to chestnut blight.  American trees developed over the eons without the blight, so no genetic resistance was built up in them, unlike Chinese chestnut.  That doesn't mean that they won't survive for many years, won't produce nuts or won't develop into a marketable tree!  They can and they do, sometimes.

If growing only a few pure American trees, there are actions that can be taken to help prevent or treat blight, such as mud packing cankers.  And who knows, there might be that one in a million chance of a pure American tree having some resistance to blight!  Now that is what I want to find in the pure Americans that I plant!!

Interested in planting some trees on your own land?  Let me know and maybe I can find you some "test" seeds to try.

Don't forget about the March 30 KY-TACF Louisville Branch meeting at the Louisville Nature Center beginning at 9:30 AM!  Following the meeting and after lunch, we will move across Trevillian Way to the Zoo in order to plant some potentially blight resistant bred chestnut seeds.  Everyone is welcome to both events!  Feel free to email me at kchacha@yahoo.com if you have questions or want to let me know that you are coming!  This will be a great opportunity to find out what is going on in our area, what opportunities to become active are happening and a great way to meet other folks with a passion for saving the American chestnut tree!  (There might even be some tasty snacks to enjoy!)

Louisville Branch Formation

Be sure and look at all of the postings at http://louisvillechestnut.blogspot.com/.

A new "branch" is being formed in the Louisville area of The American Chestnut Foundation.  A branch is part of the state chapter, but provides the opportunity for like-minded folks in a certain location (such as Louisville) to gather on a regular basis, work together for spreading the word about the American chestnut tree and efforts to bring them back and to plant, tend, manage and grow chestnut trees in the Louisville Area!

The first meeting will take place on March 30 at 9:30 AM at the Louisville Nature Center.  The meeting should be over at noon or 12:30.  Following the meeting, a display planting of American chestnut trees or nuts will be completed at the Louisville Zoo near the butterfly garden.  The butterfly garden is NOT inside the zoo, but is off of the lower parking lot that serves as bus parking.

While at the Nature Center, you can view the display planting of 4 Restoration Chestnut 1.0 trees that was completed last fall.

Everyone is welcome to attend either the meeting, the planting or both.  Please email Keith at kchacha@yahoo.com for more information.  Be sure to bring your friends and neighbors!

Welcome

Welcome to the Louisville Chestnut blog!  The intent of this blog is to tell you about area and regional activities involving the American chestnut - and relatives - in the Louisville, KY, area.

First, a short history concerning the American chestnut.  Ever notice we have a "Chestnut Street" here in Louisville?  Ever see a chestnut tree on this street?  Probably not lately.  The American chestnut was prevalent throughout Appalachia - from Mississippi/Alabama all the way up through Maine and into Canada.  The historic range ventured up through the Knobs region of Southern Jefferson county and across the river into Southern Indiana.  A few historic patches were found as far west as Southern Illinois.

http://www.acf.org/range_close.php

Around 1900, the chestnut blight was brought to America from Asia (China is usually attributed) on planting stock for nut production (the Chinese chestnut nut is larger than the American chestnut nut, but not as sweet and tasty).  By 1950 or so, the American chestnut tree, which once made up 1/4 or more of the forests within its range, was completely decimated - dead, dying, wiped out.

Chinese chestnut bur in Louisville - summer drought, 2012.
This tree is truly a survivor, as even today there are still American chestnut trees out there in the woods sending up sprouts from the living root systems of these former trees.  Sometimes, these sprouts will shoot up and survive long enough to produce burs and nuts, but eventually these pure American trees will once again succumb to the blight brought here so long ago.

Efforts continue to breed blight resistance into American chestnut trees with hopes of reintroducing these trees back to their former glory.  You can find out everything on these efforts by going to www.acf.org.  I recommend you consider joining the American Chestnut Foundation and supporting their efforts through membership, contributions and especially by getting involved with local efforts!

THAT is what this blog is really about - getting involved.  From here, you will learn what you can do locally in the Louisville area to support the cause of, well basically, saving the American chestnut.

Local American Chestnut Foundation members are currently working to form a local "branch."  This group will be the folks who continue local efforts of planting, educating, growing, and doing everything "chestnut" here in our area.  Everyone with an interest can join in!  More info to come!