Chestnut Chat: Breeding Disease Resistance in Loblolly Pine and Prospects for American Chestnut
Slow and Steady Wins the Race: How Breeding has Improved Disease Resistance in Loblolly Pine and Prospects for American Chestnut
Join us on Friday, October 10, 2025, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (Eastern), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat.
Our special guest, Dr. Trevor Walker, Assistant Professor of Forest Genetics and Co-Director of the Cooperative Tree Improvement Program at NC State University, will share insights from NC State’s loblolly pine breeding program and discuss how they might inform TACF’s American chestnut breeding efforts.
“Breeding with recurrent selection is an ancient technology, transforming wolves to dogs and teosinte to modern maize. In the last 30 years, advances in statistics and DNA sequencing have accelerated its effectiveness, but the basics remain unchanged. I will discuss 70 years of progress in breeding loblolly pine for disease resistance, growth, and stem form for tree farmers in the southeastern U.S. The present-day strategy combines techniques developed over decades, incorporation of new technology, and abandoning practices ill-suited to loblolly biology. Considering American chestnut, I will outline which practices should work, which probably won’t, and why.”
HOW TO PARTICIPATE (via Zoom Webinar)
Pre-registration is required to attend this event. Pre-register here. After registering, you will receive an email with a unique URL link to join the event. You can also add the event to your calendar from the webinar registration approval page. The meeting will open 15 minutes prior to the start time to allow an audio and video test.
Presenter
Dr. Trevor Walker
Assistant Professor of Forest Genetics, Co-Director of the Cooperative Tree Improvement Program at NC State University
Bio
Trevor is a forester, tree breeder, and quantitative geneticist. His undergraduate degree is in forest management and his masters is in forest biometrics from Stephen F. Austin State University. After his masters, he worked as a timber cruiser and inventory analyst for timber companies in the southern United States. He studied forest genetics for his PhD at NC State University, where he worked as a tree breeder for the Cooperative Tree Improvement Program. He assumed the role of Co-Director and Assistant Professor in 2023.
