CHESTNUTS IN THE UNITED STATES FOR FOOD AND FOR TIMBER

Castanea dentata is native to the eastern U.S., grew tall and straight, and was used primarily for timber.
The other native chestnuts are smaller trees called “chinquapins,” which were widely distributed in the eastern U.S., where they provided food for wildlife.
Ink disease, caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, was brought into the U.S. before 1825 and spread to kill all Castanea near the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern Atlantic seaboard, back to the Appalachian mountain range.
Chestnut blight disease, caused by Cryphonectria parasitica, came into the U.S. in the late 1800’s, and was throughout the range of C. dentata by 1950. Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp, Dryocosmus kuriphilus, was brought into the southern U.S. in 1974, and is slowly spreading north.
Growers who are trying to establish a market for chestnuts in the U.S face these problems, plus weevil infestation of the nuts.
We started using Hypoviruses in 1972 to keep trees alive for our breeding program for timber and nut trees.
US scientists are mapping the genes of Hypoviruses, the blight fungus, and chestnut trees to study the interaction.
Nut standards are being set, and tests of nutritional quality are being done.
Breeding for better nut trees and better timber trees continues, as well as testing orchard and forest planting methods to find the best way to produce nuts and to introduce timber chestnut trees into their former range.

III International Chestnut Congress

S.L. Anagnostakis

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.693.2