Project Overview
FNE06-577
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2006: $5,234.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2006
Region: Northeast
State: West Virginia
Project Leader:
Don W. Kines
Mountain State Chestnuts
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Additional Plants: native plants, ornamentals
Practices
- Crop Production: forestry
- Education and Training: extension, on-farm/ranch research
- Farm Business Management: new enterprise development
Proposal summary:
Before chestnut blight came to this country, the American chestnut tree was the most dominant and fastest-growing tree in the Appalachian mountains. This project will investigate the possibility of breeding American chestnut hybrids that can be used by Northeast farmers as a replacement for the American chestnut tree. Asian-American chestnut hybrids will be crossed with partially blight-resistant American chestnuts. Seedlings resulting from those crosses will be evaluated for establishment and performance in a forest and in a nursery. Outreach will be through articles, a web site, and a publication on chestnut production.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.