The hazelnut breeding program at Oregon State University directed by
Shawn Mehlenbacher uses the genetic diversity in the genus
Corylus to
create new cultivars for the Oregon industry. One of the major
objectives is resistance to eastern filbert blight (EFB). Three recent
releases ('Lewis', 'Clark', and 'Sacajawea') have quantitative
resistance, while 'Santiam', 'Yamhill' and 'Jefferson' have complete
resistance from 'Gasaway'. Dozens of promising selections are in yield
trials, and a few are being evaluated in grower orchards. Resistant
pollinizers are also available for these new releases.
Resistant selections are available from various nurseries. A list of
these nurseries can be found at the Hazelnut Marketing Board's
web site.
Although trees with the 'Gasaway' gene are resistant to the strain of
EFB currently found in Oregon, these trees can be infected by other
strains of EFB found in eastern North America.
OSU and USDA have assembled the best hazelnut collection in the
world.
Recent additions include seedlings from nuts collected in Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Russia, and the Crimea. From this
collection the breeding program continues to identify sources of EFB
resistance. In addition to 'Gasaway' and 'Zimmerman', complete
resistance has been identified in Minnesota seedling OSU 408.040,
Spanish cultivar 'Ratoli', Russian selection OSU 495.072, Georgian
selection 759.010, and Serbian cultivars 'Uebov' and 'Crvenje 3/96'.
This row of trees has
highly susceptible trees on the left, resistant trees in
the middle and trees of intermediate resistance on the
right. All are infected with EFB.

Photo by Ken
Johnson, 1991.
Susceptibility of hazelnut cultivars to Eastern Filbert
Blight (Anisogramma anomala).
|
Susceptible
|
Intermediate
|
Resistant
|
Immune
|
|
Ennis
(++++++)
|
Barcelona
(++++)
|
Clark
(++)
|
Gasaway
(---)
|
|
Daviana
(++++++)
|
Butler
(++++)
|
Lewis
(++)
|
Santiam
(---)
|
|
DuChilly
(++++++)
|
Hall's Giant
(+++)
|
|
Yamhill
(---)
|
|
TGdL
(++++++)
|
Willamette
(+++)
|
Sacajawea
(+)
|
Jefferson
(---)
|
|
Tonda Romana
(++++++)
|
|
|
VR series
(---)
|
|
Casina
(+++++)
|
|
|
Gamma
(---)
|
|
Negret
(+++++)
|
|
Gem
(+)
|
Delta
(---)
|
|
Dundee
(++++++)
|
|
TdG
(+)
|
Epsilon
(---)
|
|
Newburg
(++++++)
|
|
|
Eta
(---)
|
|
|
|
|
Theta
(---)
|
|
|
|
|
Zeta
(---)
|
TGdL = Tonda Gentile delle Langhe;
TdG = Tonda di Giffoni.
++++++ = Highly susceptible, long canker length, low
vigor. Type cultivar Ennis.
+++++ = Susceptible, long canker length, medium
vigor.
++++ = Intermediate susceptibility, good vigor in the
presence of EFB. Type cultivar Barcelona.
+++ = Intermediate susceptibility, but with shorter
cankers or fewer stromata than Barcelona, good vigor in the
presence of EFB.
++ = Resistant, shorter cankers and with good vigor. Type
cultivar Clark.
+ = Highly resistant, shortest cankers, can become
infected but only under very high disease pressure. Type
cultivar Tonda di Giffoni.
--- = Immune, does not become diseased. Type cultivar
Gasaway.