The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

2 days ago

Chestnut Blight is "Mean and Ugly" !!!

Photo taken June 25, 2026 in The Regional Hybrid Chestnut Orchard in partnership between TACF/Eastern KY University/Kentucky Chapter of TACF.

Tree # 2144 is an ugly example of what the Chestnut Blight, "Cryphonectria parasitica" does to American Chestnut and most hybrid American Chestnut trees. This tree was planted 9 1/2 years ago, as a greenhouse potted seedling.

The Chestnut Blight is an airborne fungus, that came over from Asia and was first identified in New York in 1904. It's spores are carried by wind and birds. This blight "is all around us". It's spores enter through cracks or wounds in the bark and then feed on the green cambial layer that is just under the outer hard bark, until the tree is girdled and dies.

This airborne fungus killed an estimated 4 billion full American Chestnut trees. Fortunately, this fungus does not live in the soil, and the chestnut roots survive to resprout and grow, until the Blight again catches up to those sprouts.

TACF has been breeding hybrid American Chestnuts since 1983, breeding in some amount Chinese genes to gain some "Blight Resistance".

3,550 hybrid seedlings, from a variety of parentages, have been planted in this TACF/EKU Partnership Orchard, beginning April 2016. We have been cutting out the weaker trees every year, to get down last year, to the 296 "Better" trees (8.3%).

Leaf samples were then taken on May 22, 2025, to be "Genomically Tested" to determine the degree of blight resistance of each of those trees. Good News: 77 of those Hybrid Americans were found to have 50% Blight Resistance or higher (on a scale where Americans have 0% resistance, and Chinese have close to 100% resistance) That's 2.2% of the 3,550 trees planted. Even better, 37, or 1.0%, of the trees originally planted, were found to have 60% or higher Blight Resistance !!! 😃

Third and Fourth photos show a few of those 'BEST' trees in this hybrid orchard, some of which will be used in the next generation of "Recurrent Genomic Selection" breeding: * * * * * * SHORT VIDEO: tacf.org/tree-breeding/

The Kentucky Chapter Invites You to JOIN US: 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

support.tacf.org/membership Choose the Kentucky Chapter....... ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

2 weeks ago

Another productive WORK DAY on Tuesday June 16th at TACF/EKU Hybrid American Chestnut Orchard.

Thank you Dr. Jennifer Koslow, Dr. Alice Jones, Dr. Sally Chambers, Ira Hager, Tandy Deskins, Kyle Willis, Harry Pelle, Jimmie Sizemore, Patti Darnell, Ken Darnell

Tasks Completed June 16th:

1. Updated everyone of our ID'd (via Genomic Testing) BEST trees. We have been working 11 years to determine that BEST 1% out of 3,550 seedlings planted * * * * * 😃🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

2. Pollinated two of our BEST trees, # 2370 (65.9% resistance) and #722 (84.9% resistance), that were pre-bagged on June 5th to prevent open, random pollination. Two selected Pollens received from Virginia orchards BEST trees to apply to our two pre-bagged trees

3. Collected catkins from four EKU selected BEST trees, for their pollen to be sent to Virginia. Trees # 600 (69.9% resistance), # 675 (65.4% resistance), # 860 (72.2% resistance), # 1450 (66.8% resistance)

4. Recording Prime Pollination Dates of our Top 30 trees to add to KY Chapter's "Prime Time Pollination" Worksheet

5. Ran heavy duty STIHL weed eater and clipped small trees around full interior of the deer fence line

6. Added fresh pink "Bird Warning" ribbons around perimeter of deer fence. The black nylon netting is hard to see in certain lighting conditions

Rented a self powered, four wheel drive, terrain tires Scissors Lift for June 16th. Model JLG 260 MRT JLG 260MRT 4X4 ROUGH TERRAIN SCISSOR LIFT RT *REFURBISHED* WARRANTY* ie Genie | eBay Richmond's By Pass Rentals delivered and picked up the Lift, saving us from utilizing a pick up truck to pickup/ return. That self powered Lift reduced the problem of tight spaces and short turns, experienced June 5th. Thanks again to KY Board Member Robert Griffin for MAKING ALL THAT HAPPEN on June 5th, in such tight spaces, with a tow behind lift *******

Thank you again to the EKU Grounds Team for keeping the Orchard mowed, bush hogged, rogued trees chipped up........ for the past 11 years 😃 ...and for the hundreds of Volunteers who have contributed hands on to help prepare for this important and productive day ⭐⭐⭐

Give the KY Chapter a LIKE. SHARE. It's all good news to share all across Kentucky * * * * * * *

If you are interested in MEMBERSHIP in the Kentucky Chapter, we Invite You to JOIN US: support.tacf.org/membership Choose the Kentucky Chapter ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

3 weeks ago

HUGE DAY at TACF/EKU Regional Hybrid Orchard June 5, 2026 Thank you to our 18 VOLUNTEERS ... and ... PARTNERS !!!!!

Ken Darnell, KY Chapter, Robert Griffin, KY Chapter, Charlie Saunders, KDF, Dr. Jennifer Koslow, EKU Biology, Clint Patterson, Berea College Forester, Elijah Rosenbaum, Bernheim Forest, Hannah Hunt, Bernheim Forest, Rachel Hartline, USFS DBNF, Eric Sizemore, USFS DBNF, Mark Neikirk, who is writing a book on The Sheltowee Trail, including a Chapter on American Chestnuts, Jess Slade, Conservation Manager at the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (KNLT), Logan Ashley, Supervisor EKU Natural Areas, and his EKU Team: Ira Hager, Savannah Stayton, Alyssa Cline, Isaac Mallory. ... and Thank You EKU Mowing Crew for keeping the grass low and smooth before our Action Events 😃

.... and as always, thank you to Patti Darnell for behind the scenes supporting the planning details.

....and THANK YOU to the HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS over the last 11 year years who helped plant and maintain this orchard 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

Tasks completed:

1. EKU Team freshly mowed the planted half of Orchard. Makes it so much easier to work across that 1.25 acres of the Orchard's total 2.5 acres *********

2. Pre Bagged three prior selected trees, based on their blight resistance score from last year's genomic leaf sampling, tree height, number of green catkins, etc., Robert Griffin picked up the rental lift in Richmond, and volunteered his pickup to maneuver between the trees. A TOUGH ASSIGNMENT !!!!

3. Updated/Educated all on the latest science and value of Recurrent Genomic Selection (RGS).... and the good news that 77 or 2.1%, (out of 3,550 trees planted) scored 50% or higher Blight Resistance and, even better, that 35 or 1.0%, of those trees scored 60% or higher blight resistance via genomic testing. We encouraged all Partners to SHARE that good news when they get back to their "day jobs" 😊

4. EKU Natural Areas Team worked like a platoon of hungry beavers to cut out ALL sprouts, corner to corner of the orchard and pile into windrows over the stumps as mulch to slow down next round of sprouts. These sprouts are from previous culled trees that cannot be allowed to re-grow.

5. Ran weedeaters in several areas

6. Repaired broken entrance gate post

7. Watered the five surviving full American "Nut Grafted" seedlings planted three years ago.

8. Photos were taken by Ken Darnell, with overhead drone photos taken by Robert Griffin. SEE ATTACHED

NEXT WORKDAY IS TUESDAY JUNE 16TH TO CONTROL POLLINATE THE 260 FEMALE FLOWERS prepared ...... COVERED BY 85 BAGS ... See MoreSee Less

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