Efforts to Revive American Chestnuts Progressing

Devotees of the American Chestnut are making progress in their long-term efforts to bring the species back to American forests, reports The Post and Courier in Greenville, South Carolina. Root rot and blight virtually eradicated a tree species that was a significant component of eastern forests and that provided an ecological and economic underpinning for the region as a source of food for wild animals, domestic livestock, and people, as well as lumber. Tree breeders are trying to breed disease resistance into chestnuts with genetic material from Asian strains and a few surviving trees. Some have taken a selective breeding approach, while others are working toward genetic modification. The process is both complex and lengthy, given the long life cycle of chestnut trees. South Carolina orchardist Joe James believes he’s perhaps just 20 years away from having a hybrid chestnut that could survive in the wild.