I remember as a child of the 80's my friend had 2 huge chestnut trees, I loved eating the chestnuts as a child. They were sweeter than any other chestnut I have tried since. I do believe they are still there growing.... in a dying town.
Yes there was high mortality among the American chestnut, but in the panic the news of the epidemic caused, some people began felling chestnuts even before they showed signs of canker infection, and it could be that some naturally resistant varieties of chestnut were killed off by concerned citizens, too. Some remote valleys did contain some resistant trees that survived, and people have searched out those outlying trees for the regeneration project.
What tree species cannot even be infected by Chestnut Blight? I’m wanting to know what species besides Chinquapin, other oak species and Chestnuts show zero signs of infection.... thank you
Would love to have a American resistant. But...I hear they need more then one (don't have the room) and on my property they would grow tall enough to drop nuts on the neighbors properties.
I want to know if it’s possible to spray the bark with a natural treatment type of protection. Maybe some sort of natural fertilizer type additive, (ie cinnamon, ladybugs, some other biological substances or species) that could give the tree, in essence, an inoculation internally in conjunction with a sprayed bark treatment externally? Could a vaccination be possible using the trees natural immune system, and or CRISPR to delete or modify American Chestnut DNA to be viable without using impure breeding of inferior, but resistant Chinese genes? Also what about closed environments? Hypothetically couldn’t they be grown in tall greenhouses, protected from natural killers, or in distant outdoor areas where the fungus is naturally inactive or at a distance far enough away from oak populations, invasive insects, or whatever the carriers are that have been perpetuating the spread of disease? It’s certainly not ideal, but couldn’t something like a natural zoo to prevent the complete loss of a species help, or at bare minimum keep the natural genetics from being lost completely? There’s no reason all the abandoned malls and large empty factories, especially in New England and the northeast US, couldn’t be converted into large clean room type biological habitats. I would happily attempt to convert these spaces into trial runs. Unfortunately I don’t have any connections or funding to undertake this endeavor. I want to attempt this because I always see problems from angles most people never seem to. My imagination and ingenuity have always been my best qualities, and I wish I could make better use of them for massive problems like this. I could die happy knowing that the results of my work will be evident for an incredibly long time after my death, even without ever given a drop of credit for it. Even my ex wife says that I have a superhuman level of refusal to lose, and always will somehow find resources to win nobody ever seems to think of, or see coming. All while never hurting anyone or anything in the process, and always find a way to be the best at whatever I do, because my brain... “NEVER TURNS OFF AND WILL ONLY RANK MY SELF WORTH BY THE RESULTS OF MY WORK, NOT EGO” If anyone wants to attempt this idea, has funding or connections, and would need someone that will work on issues like this every minute of the day, look no further. I will always investigate ideas or theories in random places and times. So often I’ll be standing in line somewhere and something triggers a hunch. I have even at times heard a song, saw something, or woke up with a thought that sparked an idea. To conclude, I have never quit my job at 5pm, I just leave the building!
Did you not watch the whole thing? They isolated genes from other plants besides the Chinese chestnut to give the American the resistance but nothing else...looks like they have already done a lot of the hardest work. Now time to really test what they have done.
@Daniel Smith That's the backcross hybrid from the Chinese variety. Dr. Powell is specifically talking about 99.99% American Chestnut that is transgenic. not the same thing.
I remember as a child of the 80's my friend had 2 huge chestnut trees, I loved eating the chestnuts as a child. They were sweeter than any other chestnut I have tried since. I do believe they are still there growing.... in a dying town.
I have read this 4 years after it was “published”, I hope (!!!) the time for approval and distribution is close. Very good effort, keep at it!
Where can i get some of these trees ??
Yes there was high mortality among the American chestnut, but in the panic the news of the epidemic caused, some people began felling chestnuts even before they showed signs of canker infection, and it could be that some naturally resistant varieties of chestnut were killed off by concerned citizens, too. Some remote valleys did contain some resistant trees that survived, and people have searched out those outlying trees for the regeneration project.
What tree species cannot even be infected by Chestnut Blight? I’m wanting to know what species besides Chinquapin, other oak species and Chestnuts show zero signs of infection.... thank you
Would love to have a American resistant. But...I hear they need more then one (don't have the room) and on my property they would grow tall enough to drop nuts on the neighbors properties.
Sounds like you gotta move.
I want to know if it’s possible to spray the bark with a natural treatment type of protection.
Maybe some sort of natural fertilizer type additive, (ie cinnamon, ladybugs, some other biological substances or species) that could give the tree, in essence, an inoculation internally in conjunction with a sprayed bark treatment externally?
Could a vaccination be possible using the trees natural immune system, and or CRISPR to delete or modify American Chestnut DNA to be viable without using impure breeding of inferior, but resistant Chinese genes?
Also what about closed environments?
Hypothetically couldn’t they be grown in tall greenhouses, protected from natural killers, or in distant outdoor areas where the fungus is naturally inactive or at a distance far enough away from oak populations, invasive insects, or whatever the carriers are that have been perpetuating the spread of disease?
It’s certainly not ideal, but couldn’t something like a natural zoo to prevent the complete loss of a species help, or at bare minimum keep the natural genetics from being lost completely?
There’s no reason all the abandoned malls and large empty factories, especially in New England and the northeast US, couldn’t be converted into large clean room type biological habitats.
I would happily attempt to convert these spaces into trial runs. Unfortunately I don’t have any connections or funding to undertake this endeavor.
I want to attempt this because I always see problems from angles most people never seem to.
My imagination and ingenuity have always been my best qualities, and I wish I could make better use of them for massive problems like this. I could die happy knowing that the results of my work will be evident for an incredibly long time after my death, even without ever given a drop of credit for it.
Even my ex wife says that I have a superhuman level of refusal to lose, and always will somehow find resources to win nobody ever seems to think of, or see coming. All while never hurting anyone or anything in the process, and always find a way to be the best at whatever I do, because my brain...
“NEVER TURNS OFF AND WILL ONLY RANK MY SELF WORTH BY THE RESULTS OF MY WORK, NOT EGO”
If anyone wants to attempt this idea, has funding or connections, and would need someone that will work on issues like this every minute of the day, look no further. I will always investigate ideas or theories in random places and times. So often I’ll be standing in line somewhere and something triggers a hunch. I have even at times heard a song, saw something, or woke up with a thought that sparked an idea.
To conclude, I have never quit my job at 5pm, I just leave the building!
Did you not watch the whole thing? They isolated genes from other plants besides the Chinese chestnut to give the American the resistance but nothing else...looks like they have already done a lot of the hardest work. Now time to really test what they have done.
Ok enough TALK!! Can you start producing the Hybrids so we can have Chestnut timber again!!!
5tonyvvvv I must disagree, this century long project needs much more talk to produce actions then results will follow.
@Daniel Smith That's the backcross hybrid from the Chinese variety. Dr. Powell is specifically talking about 99.99% American Chestnut that is transgenic. not the same thing.
Oxalates are an anti-nutrient. They bind with other minerals, often result in kidney stones. That's a bad idea to introduce that into the genotype.
OK so let's ban wheat then.