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nafex - RE: [NAFEX] RE: chestnuts

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  • From: "Gene Spears" <Spears@LMC.edu>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [NAFEX] RE: chestnuts
  • Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 11:45:38 -0400

From what I understand from discussions with Greg, the upright,
'timber-type' growth pattern of C.dentata is a fairly dominant trait, even
in F1 & F2 generations?

Most of the trees at the Meadowview farm are still fairly young. The
tallest
appears to be about 30 ft. high, and that is one of the first generation
crosses,
so it may not get much bigger.

I presume that TACF and ACCF are concentrating principally on
1) blight resistance and 2) timber-type growth; is there no one in the
upper echelons of either group who have raised the possibility of looking
at nut quality as well, or do you suppose that at some point that might
become an area in which some selective breeding might be directed?

I doubt if TACF will be willing to go that route. They've invested a
lot of time
and $$ in developing the "Forest Tree". In my chapter, I'm the only board
member that
has much interest in an "Orchard Tree". They're also pretty protective of
the trees
that come from their breeding program, understandably so, IMO.
What is encouraging, however, is how quickly you can get a producing
tree under the
right conditions - lots of sun, Miracid fertilizer and some deer protection.
Also, chestnuts
are well-suited to the eastern forests (or were, before the blight) - they
flower in mid-
summer, avoiding frost, and handle the clayey, acidic soils well. If some
one or group has
a lot of land and a reasonable amount of patience, I think an Orchard Tree
line could be
created fairly quickly

gene
spears@lmc.edu

PS - Lucky, the names look familiar, but I can't say I know your TN friends





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