Consortium Partners Present Findings 

A few weeks ago Dr. Shawn Mehlenbacher from Oregon State wrote about his recent trip to Chile with Oregon hazelnut researchers and growers where he presented at a conference and also visited Chilean nurseries and hazelnut farms. 

Below is a partial list of other presentations and articles published by Consortium members over the past year detailing our work to create hybrid hazelnuts that are blight-resistant and can grow in areas with hot and cold weather extremes. For a comprehensive list, see the Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium website.  

Chambers, U., V.M. Walton, and S.A. Mehlenbacher. 2011.
Susceptibility of hazelnut cultivars to filbertworm, Cydia latiferreana. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. October 2011 vol. 46 no. 10 1377-1380. 

Sathuvalli, V. S.A. Mehlenbacher and D.C. Smith. 2011.
DNA markers linked to eastern filbert blight resistance from a hazelnut selection from the Republic of Georgia. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 136: 350–357.

Kahn, P.C., T.J. Molnar, G. Zhang., and C.R. Funk. 2011. Investing in Perennial Crops to Sustainably Feed the World. Issues in Science and Technology. Summer 2011, p. 75–81

G. Cai, C. Leadbetter, T. Molnar, and B.I. Hillman. 2011. Genome sequencing and analysis of Anisogramma anomala, the causal agent of eastern filbert blight. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society, Honolulu, HI, August 6-11, 2011. Phytopathology Vol. 101, No. 6 (Supplement) S25 [search Cai]

G. Cai, C. Leadbetter, T. Molnar, and B.I. Hillman. 2011. Genome-wide identification and characterization of microsatellite markers in Anisogramma anomala. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society, Honolulu, HI, August 6-11, 2011. Phytopathology Vol. 101, No. 6 (Supplement) S25 [search Cai]

Leadbetter, C., T. Molnar and J. Capik. 2011. Screening new hazelnut germplasm for resistance to eastern filbert blight. HortScience 46(9):S4. (Abstr.) [Search Leadbetter]

Capik, J and T.J. Molnar. 2011. Breeding ornamental hazelnuts. HortScience 46(9):S3. (Abstr.) [search Capik]

Molnar, T.J., Capik, J., Leadbetter, C.W., Zhang, Z., Cai, G. and B. Hillman. 2011. Developing hazelnuts (Corylus spp.) with durable resistance to eastern filbert blight caused by Anisogramma anomala. Abstracts of the Fourth International Workshop on the Genetics of Host-Parasite Interactions in Forestry. Pg. 39 Eugene, Oregon, July 31–Aug. 5, 2011 [search Molnar]

Molnar, T.J. and J. Capik. 2011. Breeding for eastern filbert blight resistance in hazelnuts. HortScience 46(9):S8. (Abstr.) [search Molnar]

 Mehlenbacher, S.A., D.C. Smith and R.L. McCluskey. 2011. “Jefferson” hazelnut. HortScience April 2011 46:662-664.

Mehlenbacher, S.A., D.C. Smith, R.L. McCluskey and M.M. Thompson. 2011.'Tonda Pacifica' hazelnut. HortScience March 2011 46:505-508.

Sathuvalli, V.R. 2011. Eastern filbert blight in hazelnut (Corylus avellana): Identification of new resistance sources and high resolution genetic and physical mapping of a resistance gene. PhD dissertation. Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.

Sathuvalli, V.R. and S.A. Mehlenbacher. 2011. Characterization of American hazelnut (Corylus americana) accessions and Corylus americana x Corylus avellana hybrids using microsatellite markers. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution DOI 10.1007/s10722-011-9743-0.

Seedlings at Rutgers Inoculated With EFB

Today at Rutgers University, thousands of hazelnut seedlings are being inoculated with spores of the fungus Anisogramma anomala to test their resistance to eastern filbert blight.

The inoculation procedure begins with cutting the stromata (mushroom-like fruiting bodies) from infected stems. 

Next, the stromata are ground up in distilled water with a mortar and pestle to release the millions of spores they contain. This spore solution is then diluted to a specific concentration shown to work best with young hazelnut seedlings. 

The spore solution is sprayed directly onto the growing tips of plants, which are grown in humidity chambers that mimic the conditions that occur in nature during infection.

John Capik sprays seedlings in the inoculation

chamber with the spore solution.

  

From this point on, it’s a waiting game. Believe it or not, this fungus can take up to 16 months to show its devastating effects.  

The plants are raised normally after inoculations and even the susceptible ones (unknown at the time) grow well. By the end of the summer, the plants typically reach 6-8 feet tall. From here, they’re overwintered in a cold greenhouse for chilling. Proper winter chilling is necessary for the plants to leaf out and begin growing normally in the spring as well as to trigger the fungus to create the EFB cankers. They wake up and start growing the following March. It’s not until June or July that the EFB cankers become apparent and we can identify those that appear to be resistant to the disease.

These seedlings were inoculated last year, and

now we're waiting to see if cankers emerge

on the stems.

We discard the sick plants and plant the apparently healthy ones in the field in October, which grow for five more years. At the end of this time, those that show no eastern filbert blight are evaluated for the nuts they produce. – Dr. Tom Molnar, Rutgers University
 

Hazelnuts Are Good for You!

My iced hazelnut latte this morning sent me on a quest for other ways to use hazelnuts. The Nebraska Nut Growers offer these ideas for incorporating heart-healthy hazels and other nuts into your diet. Easy! 

• Add to tossed salads
• Stir-fry with vegetables or chicken
• Blend into fruit shakes 
• Use in stuffings 
• Mix into pancake or waffle batter 
• Add to rice dishes 
• Add to cake or cookie batter
• Encrust fish with chopped nuts and bake
• Dip in melted chocolate

Hazelnut Oil
Pressed from hazelnuts, hazelnut oil is similar in composition to extra virgin olive oil and is high in Omega 9 and Omega 6 fatty acids, making it a healthy cooking option. It's very flavorful so start with a small amount and add according to your taste. Some good ways to use it? In salad dressing (try it with whole grain mustard, minced shallot, sherry and cider vinegar and salt and pepper) or drizzled over ravioli or avocados. Hazelnut oil also goes well with pumpkin – brush it over cut pumpkin before roasting or drizzle on pumpkin soup. – Nancy Evans, Nebraska Forest Service

Rutgers Scientists Sequence
the EFB Genome

EFB presents as cankers on hazelnut branches.

Severe cankering is followed by branch dieback

and death of most European (Corylus avellana)

hazelnut plants.

One of the major accomplishments of the Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium’s work to date is sequencing the genome of Anisogramma anomala, the filamentous fungus that causes eastern filbert blight (EFB). EFB is one of the key factors limiting commercial hazelnut production.

Understanding the genetic sequence of A. anomala will allow us to determine which plants contain useful genetic resistance, whether various fungal strains affect plants differently and whether environment plays a part in resistance and/or disease progression. This will help us determine which parent plants to breed, how likely EFB is to change over time and how that would affect host resistance.

Dr. Brad Hillman and Dr. Guohong Cai from Rutgers successfully sequenced the genome after isolating the fungus DNA from a two-month-old sample, and analyzed it using an Illumina sequencer. A. anomala is particularly difficult to work with because it doesn’t grow well outside of infected plants.

The massive amount of sequence data was assembled using a short-read method called SOAPdenovo, and the assembled sequence was analyzed to develop simple sequence repeat (SSR, also called microsatellite) gene markers for the fungus. The A. anomala genome was found to be surprisingly large, and 85% of it was “repetitive” DNA typical of transposable genetic elements.

Next steps in the research are to sequence the genome in greater depth to obtain a better genome assembly as a platform for future work. We also will complete “draft” sequences of additional strains of A. anomala from different populations around the U.S. and will combine this information with experimental screening of microsatellite loci.

OSU Research Team Travels to Chile

Sandoval family farm in Chillan

I traveled to the International Hazelnut Congress in Temuco, Chile, in March, accompanied by key members of the Oregon State University hazelnut breeding program and 17 Oregon hazelnut growers.

The OSU breeding and genetics project members gave five presentations (Mehlenbacher, Smith and McCluskey) and two posters (Mehlenbacher, McCluskey and Rowley). OSU Yamhill County Extension’s Jeff Olsen also presented at the meetings. These meetings gave Oregon growers a chance to meet researchers working on hazelnuts from other countries, and to see OSU researchers interacting with their peers. People from three other countries joined the group part-time.   

Above & below: El Avellano nursery

In addition to the meetings, which were engaging for researchers and growers alike, we traveled north to south through much of Chile, stopping along the way for farmer-to-farmer exchanges with hazelnut growers and experiencing true cultural exchange and interaction. We saw cultivars, pollinizers, nurseries, propagation and harvest equipment, and met key players in the Chilean hazelnut industry. In Chillán, about 350 miles south of the capital Santiago, we observed researchers working to solve problems caused by the root-feeding larvae of beetles commonly called "burritos." All of these visits were well-structured with key people on hand to interpret the experience.  

We also visited the only Chilean nursery licensed to propagate OSU hazelnut releases, in Hijuelas, about an hour north of Santiago. We toured the Viveros Hijuelas operation, including the micropropagation facility and lath houses. They produce and sell four OSU cultivars and two pollinizers. 

SMR lab

The two weeks on the ground in Chile were long ones, but they were not all work. Growers had ample time to develop an appreciation for the culture and the people of Chile. The trip combined many asados (barbequed or roasted beef), lots of good wine and:   
· Hiking up Cerro San Cristobal—a hill providing impressive views of Santiago;
· Walking along the beach in Vina del Mar, and riding an ascensor up a hill in Valpariso;
· Seeing monkey puzzle trees in their native Andean habitat;
· Visiting Valdivia, a university town similar to Corvallis, and many other stops along the way;
· Seeing the Lake District near the border with Argentina;
· Climbing to the snowline of Mt. Osorno, a volcano in the Andes.

Everywhere, we enjoyed home-cooked meals and lots of one-on-one interactions. A 7.2 tremor shook the airport terminal while we were waiting to board the return flight. Chileans took it in stride, and the plane departed on time. 

Joanne and Wayne Chambers of Albany, Ore., joined our group. Wayne is a “retired” hazelnut grower who has been involved with the breeding program for decades. Since their retirement, the Chambers have enjoyed international travel. Joanne rated this “best trip they’d ever been on,” in large part due to the quality of the interpersonal experiences. Richard and Leonie Smith, who “trained in Shawn’s boot camp” of long days, left the group early for some personal travel in Chile and later reported that they really missed the camaraderie of the group while they were on their own.— Dr. Shawn Mehlenbacher, Oregon State University

Hazelnuts Planted in Nebraska

Hazelnut planting has begun at the Nebraska Forest Service’s Horning Farm. Yesterday NFS staff and others planted about 550 hybrid seedlings grown from Oregon State seeds and 100 Americana plants grown from Rutgers seeds. Another 100+ Americana plants will go in the ground there today plus about 25 ‘Jefferson’ and ‘Yamhill’ cultivars from the International Agricultural Products Center at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. These hazelnut plants are being tested for heat and cold hardiness and eastern filbert blight resistance. 

Unlike planting day last year which had a heat index of 105 and gnats everywhere, yesterday’s weather was perfect. After the planting is finished, we’ll mulch, set up the plant protectors and install the deer fencing around the Americana plot. We also need to start plumbing for the drip irrigation system we hope to use this year. – Troy Pabst, forestry property manager, Nebraska Forest Service

Meet the Partners: Rutgers Research Focuses on EFB Resistance and Cold Hardiness

This hazelnut hybrid
developed at Rutgers
combines the high nut

quality of European
hazelnuts and the EFB
resistance of American

hazels.

Rutgers University began hazelnut research and  breeding in 1996, focusing on developing hazels resistant to eastern filbert blight (EFB) and adapted to northern climates with high yield and pest resistance. 

Dr. Tom Molnar has collected germplasm worldwide in this effort, along with Dr. Shawn Mehlenbacher from Oregon State. Sources have included Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and other eastern European locations plus Turkey, England, Spain, Italy, Germany, Finland and Poland.  

Close collaboration between Rutgers University and Oregon State has resulted in hazelnuts that are resistant to eastern filbert blight and that produce excellent quality nuts.  

Rutgers scientists also are developing a new line of ornamental hazelnuts, including plants with purple leaves and bright fall color, and others with contorted and weeping branches.   

Among the ornamental hazelnuts developed at
Rutgers is this beautiful purple leaf hybrid.