Eastern Filbert Blight Research Articles

Hazelnut Accessions Provide New Sources of Resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight

A diverse collection of 58 hazelnut accessions, including Corylus avellana L. and interspecific hybrids, were evaluated for their response to the eastern filbert blight pathogen Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller after greenhouse inoculation. Evaluations were made using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and visual inspection. Forty-five of these became infected, 12 remained free of infection, and one gave inconclusive results. The 12 accessions showing complete resistance were European hazelnuts ‘Culpla’ from Spain and CCOR 187 from Finland; C. americana × C. avellana hybrids ‘G081S’, CCOR 506, and Weschcke selections TP1, TP2 and TP3; C. colurna × C. avellana hybrids Chinese Trazels Gellatly #6 and #11; Turkish Trazel Gellatly #3 and backcross hybrid ‘Lisa’; and C. heterophylla var. sutchuensis × C. avellana hybrid ‘Estrella #1’. In a second test, exposure of potted trees under structures topped with diseased wood confirmed the complete resistance of ‘Santiam’, four pollinizers, and ‘Ratoli’. However, a few small cankers were observed on ‘Closca Molla’ from Spain and OSU 729.012, with resistance from C. californica (A.DC.) Rose, in contrast to the results of earlier greenhouse inoculations.

Survey of Hazelnut Germplasm from Russia and Crimea for Response to Eastern Filbert Blight

Six hundred five hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) seedlings from a diverse germplasm collection made in the Russian Federation and the Crimean peninsula of the Ukraine were inoculated with the eastern filbert blight (EFB) pathogen Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller and their responses evaluated. Responses were rated on a scale of 0 to 5, in which 0 represents no sign of EFB and 5 represents all branches exhibiting cankers. At final evaluation, eight seedlings showed no signs of the pathogen or symptoms of the disease. Five additional seedlings expressed only very minor signs of the pathogen (rating = 1). The remainder ranged in disease expression from moderately to severely infected to dead with 89.7% (470 of 524) of the surviving seedlings rating 4 or 5. Of the 13 apparently resistant seedlings (rating 0 or 1), seven originated from nuts purchased from roadside vendors near Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine; five from nuts purchased at an outdoor market near Krasnodar, Russia; and one from nuts obtained from the hazelnut breeding program of the Nikita Botanical Gardens, Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers generated by the primers UBC 152800 and OP AA12850, which are tightly linked to the single dominant resistance gene ‘Gasaway’, were not present in all 13 resistant seedlings, providing support, along with their geographic origins, that they represent novel sources of genetic resistance to EFB.

Segregation for Resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight in Progeny of `Zimmerman' Hazelnut

Eastern filbert blight (EFB), caused by the fungus Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller, is an important disease of european hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) in the Pacific northwestern United States. In 1989, a chance seedling free of EFB was discovered adjacent to a severely diseased orchard near Troutdale, Ore. This selection, subsequently named `Zimmerman', was crossed with three susceptible selections. Based on morphological characters and incompatibility alleles, we speculated that `Zimmerman' (S1 S3) was a hybrid between `Barcelona' (S1 S2) and `Gasaway' (S3 S26). The three seedling populations were inoculated with spores of the pathogen in a greenhouse test and assayed by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by observation of canker incidence. The observed segregation fit a 3 resistant : 1 susceptible ratio in all three progenies, in contrast to the 1 : 1 ratio found when the resistant pollinizer `Gasaway' was crossed to susceptible genotypes. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker UBC 152800 linked to the resistance gene in `Gasaway' co-segregated with the resistant phenotype in all three populations with 2%, 4%, and 6% recombination, respectively. Seed germination and transplanting records did not provide evidence of selection in favor of resistant seedlings. Pollen germination was 71% in `Gasaway', 29% in `Zimmerman', and 18% in `Barcelona', indicating possible selection at the gametophytic level. Subsequently 16 resistant seedlings of `Zimmerman' were crossed with the highly susceptible selection OSU 313.078. Segregation fit a 3 : 1 ratio in 14 of the 16 progenies, and showed a surplus of resistant seedlings in the other two. None showed a 1 : 1 segregation. Resistance co-segregated with two RAPD markers that flank the `Gasaway' resistance allele. To test allelism of resistance from `Gasaway' and `Zimmerman', VR 6-28 with resistance from `Gasaway' was crossed with `Zimmerman'. Eight resistant selections from this progeny were crossed with OSU 313.078. Five of the eight progenies segregated 3 : 1, two progenies segregated 1 : 1, and OSU 313.078 × OSU 720.056 gave only resistant offspring. The ratios indicate that OSU 720.056 is homozygous resistant and that `Zimmerman' and `Gasaway' share a common resistance allele. Reciprocal translocations have been reported in hazelnut cultivars, including `Barcelona', the leading cultivar in Oregon. `Zimmerman' appears to be a hybrid of `Barcelona' and `Gasaway', but because of cytogenetic abnormalities, `Zimmerman' may have inherited two copies of the chromosome region that contain the resistance locus and flanking RAPD markers. If the region containing the resistance were attached to two independent centromeres, a 3 : 1 segregation ratio for disease response and flanking markers would be expected, and we propose this as the most likely explanation. Resistance from `Gasaway' and `Zimmerman' has been called “immunity” or “complete resistance.” However, we noted a few seedlings with small cankers, nearly all of which lacked sporulating stromata. Flanking RAPD markers indicate that the resistance allele is present in these seedlings. Although not “immune” or “completely resistant,” `Gasaway' and `Zimmerman' transmit a very high level of resistance.

A genetic linkage map for hazelnut (Corylus avellanaL.) based on RAPD and SSR markers

A linkage map for European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) was constructed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and the 2-way pseudotestcross approach. A full-sib population of 144 seedlings from the cross OSU 252.146 x OSU 414.062 was used. RAPD markers in testcross configuration, segregating 1:1, were used to construct separate maps for each parent. Fifty additional RAPD loci were assigned to linkage groups as accessory markers whose exact location could not be determined. Markers in intercross configuration, segregating 3:1, were used to pair groups in one parent with their homologues in the other. Eleven groups were identified for each parent, corresponding to the haploid chromosome number of hazelnut (n = x = 11). Thirty of the 31 SSR loci were able to be assigned to a linkage group. The maternal map included 249 RAPD and 20 SSR markers and spanned a distance of 661 cM. The paternal map included 271 RAPD and 28 SSR markers and spanned a distance of 812 cM. The maps are quite dense, with an average of 2.6 cM between adjacent markers. The S-locus, which controls pollen-stigma incompatibility, was placed on chromosome 5S where 6 markers linked within a distance of 10 cM were identified. A locus for resistance to eastern filbert blight, caused by Anisogramma anomala, was placed on chromosome 6R for which two additional markers tightly linked to the dominant allele were identified and sequenced. These maps will serve as a starting point for future studies of the hazelnut genome, including map-based cloning of important genes. The inclusion of SSR loci on the map will make it useful in other populations.

Accelerated Screening of Hazelnut Seedlings for Resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight

An eastern filbert blight resistance screening technique was developed that reduces the time required to identify susceptible Corylus avellana L. seedlings from the previously reported 14 to 16 months after inoculation to 6 to 7 months. To accomplish this, hazelnuts were harvested at maturity, treated with GA3, germinated, and grown for about 8 weeks at 24 °C day/18 °C night with 16-hour daylengths. Seedlings were then moved to a humidity chamber and inoculated with ascospores of Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller 3 times over 2 weeks by misting until run off with a solution of 1 × 106 ascospores/mL in sterile distilled water. Following inoculation, seedlings were returned to the original greenhouse for 8 weeks and then were moved to a 10 to 15 °C day/5 to 10 °C night greenhouse with natural daylengths for 4 weeks. They were then moved to a 4 °C cold room for 8 weeks to receive chilling. Afterwards, seedlings were returned to a greenhouse at 24 °C day/18 °C night where stromata development was visible in 4 to 6 weeks.

AFLP Markers Linked to Eastern Filbert Blight Resistance from OSU 408.040 Hazelnut

Eastern filbert blight (EFB), caused by Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller, is a devastating disease to european hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) orchards in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Selection OSU 408.040 showed no symptoms or signs of the fungus following greenhouse inoculations, and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs) were negative. Segregation ratios in three progenies indicate that a single dominant gene controls the resistance. A total of 64 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) primer combinations were screened using three resistant and three susceptible individuals as well as the parents of the cross OSU 245.098 × OSU 408.040. Primer combinations that showed no more than one recombinant in these six seedlings were investigated in 30 additional seedlings. Markers that showed <15% recombination with resistance were amplified in the remaining seedlings of the population. Five AFLP markers linked in coupling to resistance were identified. B2-125 was located on one side of the resistance locus at a distance of 4.1 centimorgans (cM), while A4-265 (9.2 cM), C2-175 (5.9 cM) and D8-350 (2.5 cM) were on the other side, and A8-150 cosegregated with resistance. Three of these markers (B2-125, C2-175, and D8-350) were also linked in coupling in a similar order in seedlings from a second progeny. These markers may be useful in marker-assisted selection for eastern filbert blight resistance from hazelnut selection OSU 408.040.

Hazelnut Pollenizers `Gamma', `Delta', `Epsilon', and `Zeta'

‘Gamma’ has incompatibility alleles S 2 and S 10 , but only S 10 is expressed in the pollen because of dominance (Mehlenbacher, 1997a). The trees set many catkins, and pollen is shed in midseason, at about the same time as ‘Daviana’. The pollen-shedding period is short, and thus ‘Gamma’ should not be the sole pollenizer in an orchard. It is a suitable pollenizer for ‘Lewis’ (S 3 S 8 ) and ‘Barcelona’ (S 1 S 2 ), but sheds pollen too early for ‘Clark’ (S 3 S 8 ) and ‘Ennis’ (S 1 S 11 ). It is incompatible on its parent ‘Casina’ (S 10 S 21 ). Nuts and kernels resemble those of ‘Casina’ but are slightly larger (Table 1). Nut maturity is a few days before ‘Barcelona’, and about 80% of the nuts fall free of the husk at maturity. The frequency of moldy kernels is very low. The original seedling tree was vigorous and moderately productive. Bud mite ratings are intermediate. ‘Delta’ has incompatibility alleles S 1 and S 15 ; both are expressed in the pollen. The trees set many catkins, and shed copious amounts of pollen in late midseason with ‘Hall’s Giant’. It is a suitable pollenizer for ‘Lewis’ and for early-emerging females of ‘Clark’, but is incompatible on ‘Barcelona’, ‘Ennis’ (S 1 S 11 ), and ‘Willamette’ (S 1 S 3 ). The nuts are slightly larger than those of ‘Casina’ (Table 1) and mature a few days later than ‘Barcelona’. About 85% of the nuts fall free of the husk at maturity, while a few remain attached to the husk at the edge of the basal scar. The original seedling tree was ‘Gamma’, ‘Delta’, ‘Epsilon’ and ‘Zeta’ are four new hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) pollenizer cultivars. They were released by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station in February 2002. They shed pollen at different times during the fl owering season, spanning the time that female infl orescences of most cultivars are receptive. They have complete resistance to eastern fi lbert blight caused by Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Muller. ‘Gamma’ and ‘Delta’ carry resistance from ‘Gasaway’, while ‘Epsilon’ and ‘Zeta’ carry resistance from ‘Zimmerman’. The traditional pollenizers ‘Daviana’ and ‘Butler’, and four selections (VR4-31, VR11-27, VR20-11, and VR23-18) previously released as pollenizers for ‘Barcelona’, express incompatibility allele S 3 in their pollen (Mehlenbacher and Thompson, 1991). Although compatible on ‘Barcelona’ females (S 1 S 2 ), their pollen is incompatible on females of recently released ‘Lewis’ and ‘Clark’ (both S 3 S 8 ) (Mehlenbacher et al., 2000, 2001). ‘Gamma’, ‘Delta’, ‘Epsilon’, and ‘Zeta’ provide growers with additional pollenizer options for recently released and standard cultivars.

RAPD markers linked to eastern filbert blight resistance in Corylus avellana

A total of 1,110 decamer primers were screened for RAPD markers linked to a dominant allele in hazelnut ( Corylus avellana) that confers resistance to eastern filbert blight caused by Anisogramma anomala. Twenty RAPD markers linked in coupling, and five markers linked in repulsion, were found. A seedling population was used to construct a linkage map of the region flanking the resistance locus. The map spans 46.6 cM, with 14 markers on one side of the resistance locus and eight on the other side. Eleven markers showed less than 3% recombination with resistance, including three that showed no recombination. Seven of these 11 markers are sufficiently robust to allow their use in marker-assisted selection. These include AA12(850) which shows no recombination, and six markers on one side of the resistance locus: 173(500), 152(800), 122(825), 275(1130), H19(650) and O16(1250). Marker 268(580), which flanks the resistance locus on the other side, is also suitable for use in marker-assisted selection, but shows 5.8% recombination with resistance. Other markers are less suitable for marker-assisted selection because of sensitivity to changes in primer or MgCl(2) concentration, or the long time required for electrophoresis to separate bands of similar size. The 16 markers closest to the resistance locus were cloned and sequenced. The W07(365) marker, which showed no recombination with the resistance locus but is difficult to score, includes a CT microsatellite repeat. The sequence information will allow the design of SCAR primers and eventual map-based cloning of the resistance allele.

'Rosita' Ornamental Hazelnut

Received for publication 26 Dec. 2001. Accepted for publication 18 Mar. 2002. Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Paper no. 11849. E-mail: mehlenbs@bcc.orst.edu ‘Rosita’ is a new red-leafed hazelnut (Corylus L. hybrid) cultivar for the ornamental market. It was released by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station in Apr. 1999. Compared to other red-leafed ornamental hazelnut cultivars, ‘Rosita’ has a more desirable upright but compact growth habit and darker leaf color, and the leaf edges have a ruffled appearance. ‘Rosita’ produces few catkins and nuts. It has moderate resistance to eastern filbert blight (EFB) caused by Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Muller and big bud mites (primarily Phytoptus avellanae Nal.). ‘Rosita’ is the first ornamental cultivar to be released by the Oregon State Univ. (OSU) hazelnut breeding program.

Oregon State University's Integrated Pest Management Program for the Oregon Hazelnut Industry

Oregon State University (OSU) developed an integrated pest management (IPM) program for hazelnut (Corylus avellana.) in the early 1980s, through a USDA grant. Sampling schemes and action thresholds were refined over a period of 4 years for the filbertworm (Cydia latiferreana), filbert aphid (Myzocallis coryli), filbert leafroller (Archips rosanus.), and obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana), which are the most important insect pests in Oregon hazelnuts. A classical biological approach was employed in the mid-1980s when the filbert aphid parasitoid, Trioxys pallidus, was imported from Europe. Grower survey results for 1981 and 1997 showed that the amount of pesticides applied for filbert aphid control has declined by 93%. The registration of synthetic pyrethroids for filbertworm control and the use of pheromone trapping have reduced the amount of active ingredient applied in the industry by 96%. The annual cost savings to Oregon hazelnut growers due to use of the OSU IPM program are estimated at $0.5 million. Current research focuses on the use of less toxic insecticides, such as insect growth regulators for filbertworm and leafroller control. The most serious hazelnut disease, eastern filbert blight (EFB) caused by the fungus Anisogramma anomala was first reported in the Pacific northwestern U.S. in 1973. It has spread its way through two thirds of the hazelnut acreage. Current OSU IPM recommendations include preventative fungicide sprays in spring, scouting for and cutting out infections, and replacement of the most susceptible cultivars when possible. The long-term approach to EFB control is the development of EFB immune varieties.

Spatial and Temporal Increase of Eastern Filbert Blight in European Hazelnut Orchards in the Pacific Northwest

ABSTRACT Since its first detection in southwest Washington state 30 years ago, eastern filbert blight, caused by Anisogramma anomala, has spread slowly southward ( approximately 2 km/year) into the Willamette Valley of Oregon, an important hazelnut production region. Experiments were conducted to measure gradients of disease spread, rates of disease increase as affected by distance from an inoculum source and variation in host plant resistance, and dispersal of ascospores of A. anomala from diseased orchards. In each of 3 years, 1-year-old hazelnut trees placed from 0 to 150 m north of diseased orchards were infected uniformly and slopes of disease gradients were not significantly different from zero. In 1 year when trees also were placed south of an orchard, the disease gradient was significant (P < 0.05), with disease incidence high at the edge of the orchard and few trees infected at 10 m south of the orchard. Disease gradients were shallower and the magnitude of the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) greater in 0.1-ha mini-orchards of highly susceptible cv. Ennis than in mini-orchards of moderately susceptible cvs. Barcelona or Casina. Lower AUDPC values were observed in mini-orchards of Barcelona interplanted with a moderately resistant pollenizer Hall's Giant compared with the highly susceptible pollenizer Daviana. Fungicides applied biweekly starting at bud break reduced AUDPC values in Ennis mini-orchards to values observed in Barcelona and Casina mini-orchards. Data from aspirated spore samplers placed on towers adjacent to severely diseased hazelnut orchards indicated that spores of A. anomala dispersed horizontally and vertically away from the canopy during periods of extended branch wetness and, thus, show potential to be transported long distances in wind currents. Weather patterns in the Pacific Northwest may account for the relatively slow, southward spread of eastern filbert blight within Oregon's Willamette Valley. Of 196 precipitation events greater than 10 h in duration recorded from 1974 to 1995, conditions most favorable for ascospores discharge, periods with wind from the north were rare, representing <6% of total hours.

Comparison of Two Methods to Evaluate Quantitative Resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight in European Hazelnut

A rapid and reliable assay for screening European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) genotypes for quantitative resistance to eastern filbert blight [Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller] was tested by comparing two methods using the same clones. In the first assay, disease spread was followed for five consecutive years (1992-96) in a field plot planted in 1990. Measured responses included disease incidence (the presence or absence of cankers) and total canker length, quantified as the length of perennially expanding cankers. The second assay consisted of annually exposing replicated sets of 2-year-old, potted trees to artificially high doses of pathogen inoculum and measuring incidence and canker lengths at the end of the next growing season. The potted trees were exposed to inoculum in 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994. Compared to the field plot, disease incidence and total canker length were higher in all the potted-tree experiments. Nonetheless, disease responses of individual clones in the two screening methods were significantly correlated in some contrasts (rs = 0.97 between 1996 field and 1995 potted trees). However, for a few clones (`Camponica', `Tombul Ghiaghli', and `Tonda di Giffoni'), disease developed slowly in the field plot, but disease incidence on these clones averaged &gt; 30% in most of the potted-tree studies. Disease responses also were significantly correlated among some of the potted-tree experiments (rs = 0.72 for the comparison of 1994 to 1995). Highly susceptible and highly resistant hazelnut clones were identified by both methods. However, the field plot method was superior to the potted-tree method for distinguishing among moderately resistant clones. `Bulgaria XI-8', `Gem', `Camponica', `Tombul Ghiaghli', and `Tonda di Giffoni' were identified as promising sources of quantitative resistance to eastern filbert blight.

Survey of Hazelnut Cultivars for Response to Eastern Filbert Blight Inoculation

Ninety hazelnut (Corylus sp.) genotypes were surveyed for response to the eastern filbert blight pathogen [Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller] following greenhouse inoculation using a combination of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and visual inspection for cankers. Most were cultivars of the European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) and a few were interspecific hybrids. Six genotypes did not display signs of the pathogen or symptoms of disease: `Closca Molla', `Ratoli', `Yoder #5', `Potomac', `Medium Long', and `Grand Traverse'. `Closca Molla' and `Ratoli', both minor Spanish cultivars, are superior in many respects to `Gasaway', which has been extensively used as a completely resistant parent in breeding. `Potomac' and `Yoder #5' have C. americana Marsh. in their pedigrees, `Grand Traverse' is one-quarter C. colurna, and the origin of `Medium Long' is uncertain. The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker generated by primer UBC 152, which is linked to the single dominant resistance gene of `Gasaway', is absent in these six genotypes, and thus they appear to be novel sources of genetic resistance to this devastating disease.

Hazelnut Pollination

Hazelnuts, (Corylus avellana L.), are wind-pollinated, monoecious, mostly dichogamous, and self-incompatible. About 90% of the cultivars studied are protandrous. Anthesis of the pistillate flower is temperature-dependent and occurs December through February, peaking in January. Stigmatic surfaces may remain receptive for up to 3 months. Four to 5 months separate pollination and fertilization of the ovule; the latter usually occurring between mid-May and the end of June in Oregon. A 10% pollinizer density has been the standard, with a recommended distance of 66 ft (20 m) or less between the main cultivar and the nearest pollinizer. Two or three different pollinizer cultivars, with different times of pollen shed, are recommended. The Oregon hazelnut industry is presently combating the fungal disease, eastern filbert blight, caused by Anisogramma anomala (Peck). Current management recommendations suggest reducing risk of infection are to reduce the most susceptible pollinizer cultivars to a density 5%, then gradually replace those left with immune or more resistant genotypes.

061 Novel Sources of Genetic Resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight in Hazelnut

A survey of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) genotypes for response to the eastern filbert blight pathogen [Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller] was performed. Seven varieties were discovered that did not display disease signs or symptoms when subjected to severe inoculation with A. anomala in the greenhouse and assayed for infection. These cultivars are `Closca Molla', `Ratoli', `Yoder #5', `Potomac', `Medium Long', `Grand Traverse' and `Zimmerman'. `Ratoli' and `Closca Molla', both minor varieties from Spain, are superior agronomic types to the resistant cultivar Gasaway, which has been the main resistance source used in the breeding program. Only `Zimmerman' carries the RAPD marker linked to resistance in populations segregating for the `Gasaway' gene. Three populations were created using, `Zimmerman', as the pollen parent in controlled crosses. These populations were inoculated with spores of the pathogen and assayed by indirect ELISA and by observation of canker incidence. Resistant phenotypes make up 84% of the populations, indicating that `Zimmerman' possesses resistance either distinct from or additional to that found in, `Gasaway'. A RAPD marker linked to the resistance gene in crosses with `Gasaway' cosegregates with the resistant phenotype in all three populations (0 cM, 3 cM, 4 cM). Mechanisms to explain the distortion in these populations are discussed. Further studies are required to characterize the mechanism and inheritance resistance in these other clones.

Maturation and Seasonal Discharge Pattern of Ascospores of Anisogramma anomala

ABSTRACT Maturation and release of ascospores of Anisogramma anomala were monitored over a 6-year period (1988 to 1995) in European hazelnut orchards located in western Oregon. Perithecia of A. anomala were dissected from stromata collected monthly from September to May to determine spore maturation. Spore maturation began in late summer; by January, >90% of the spores were morphologically mature. Similarly, both the number of mature ascospores per perithecium and the proportion of ascospores that germinated increased through autumn. After January, the number of spores per perithecium declined until May, when few viable spores remained. Each of the 6 years, rain catch-type spore traps were placed under cankers in diseased trees from 15 September to 30 June. Based on spore collection periods of 1 to 4 weeks, three patterns for the seasonal release of A. anomala ascospores were observed: in the 1988-1989 season, >80% of the seasonal ascospore release occurred between September and January; in the 1989-1990 season, 32 to 42% of the seasonal ascospore release occurred after mid-April; and in the other 4 years, monthly releases of ascospores were relatively uniform over the 9-month seasonal period. Timing and amount of precipitation were the most important variables accounting for the differences among the yearly patterns of ascospore release. Over all years and sites, the cumulative proportion of total ascospores collected in each orchard was highly correlated (R(2) = 0.90) with cumulative precipitation. This relationship was confirmed in mist chamber experiments. A regression model was developed relating cumulative ascospore release to cumulative hours of precipitation. The model provides an estimate of the proportion of ascospores remaining to be released after budbreak, which coincides with the period of highest susceptibility to infection.

Hazelnut Pollination

Hazelnuts are wind-pollinated, monoecious, mostly dichogamous, and self-incompatible of the sporophytic type. About 90% of the cultivars studied are protandrous. Anthesis of the pistillate flower is temperature-dependent and occurs from December through February, with its peak in January. Stigmatic surfaces may remain receptive for up to 3 months. Four to 5 months separate pollination and fertilization of the ovule, which usually occurs between mid-May and the end of June in Oregon. A 10% pollinizer density has been the standard, with a recommended distance of &lt;20 m between the main cultivar and the nearest pollinizer. Two or three different pollinizer varieties with different times of pollen shed are recommended. The Oregon hazelnut industry is presently combating the fungal disease, Eastern Filbert Blight, Anisogramma anomala. Part of the current management recommendations are to reduce the susceptible pollinizer varieties to a density of around 5%, and then gradually replace those left with immune or more-resistant genotypes. Recent research by S.A. Mehlenbacher refined methods of using fluorescense microscopy to quickly determine genotype compatibility. The self-incompatiblity is controlled by a single gene with multiple alleles. The biochemical, physiological, and molecular aspects of sporophytic self-incompatiblity are being research by A.N. Azarenko.

Sources of Resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight in Hazelnut

Eastern filbert blight is an economically significant disease in European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) production in the United States. Since genetic resistance is the only viable disease control strategy to this fungal disease caused by Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller, greenhouse and field screening of germplasm was undertaken to study the inheritance from known resistant sources and to identify new sources for inclusion in the breeding program. We confirmed that `Gasaway' resistance to this disease is conferred by a single dominant gene. No major gen was identified in the field-resistant cultivar Gem. Representatives of six Corylus species were screened to identify new resistant germplasm. Corylus cornuta Marshall var. cornuta, C. cornuta var. californica (A.DC.) Sharp, C. heterophylla Fischer, and C. sieboldiana Blume were highly resistant, as were most C. americana Marshall genotypes and one C. colurna L. clone tested, but C. jacquenontii Decaisne was highly susceptible. In several cases, hybrids of these species with susceptible C. avellana were also resistant. These new sources of resisstance are being incorporated in the resistance breeding effort.

Factors Affecting the Release of Ascospores of Anisogramma anomala

ABSTRACT Relationships between environmental factors and release of ascospores of Anisogramma anomala, the causal agent of eastern filbert blight, were examined in four European hazelnut (Corylus avellana) orchards during a 2-year period. In each orchard, Burkhard volumetric spore traps and automated weather-monitoring equipment were deployed for 12-week periods beginning at budbreak, when hazelnut becomes susceptible to infection. Ascospores of A. anomala were released when stromata on the surface of hazelnut branches were wet from rain but not from dew. Release of ascospores ceased after branch surfaces dried. The duration of free moisture on branch surfaces regulated the initiation and rate of ascospore release, but no significant effects of temperature, relative humidity, wind, or light on ascospore release were apparent. Most (>90%) ascospores were captured during precipitation events that exceeded 20 h in duration, which represented about 10% of the total precipitation events each season. Quantitative relationships between the hourly capture of A. anomala ascospores and hours since the beginning of a precipitation event were developed. With the onset of precipitation, the hourly rate of ascospore capture increased until the fifth hour of rain, remained relatively constant between the fifth and twelfth hours, and then declined gradually. During the 12-week spore-trapping periods, the likelihood and rates of ascospore release associated with precipitation were highest at budbreak and then declined through April and May until early June, when the reserve of ascospores in the perithecia was depleted. Large numbers of ascospores were captured in the volumetric spore traps, indicating that ascospores may be commonly dispersed long distances on air currents as well as locally by splash dispersal within the canopy, as reported previously. The results indicate that monitoring seasonal precipitation patterns may be useful for estimating the quantity and temporal distribution of airborne inoculum during the period that the host is susceptible to infection.

Hazelnut Production in Oregon

Hazelnuts in Oregon are grown on 30,000 acres by ≈1000 orchardists in the Willamette Valley. Their annual production accounts for 3% to 5% of the world's hazelnut tonnage. The trees are grown in a single trunk system wrtb an average spacing of 20 feet between trees. Mechanical harvestihg is done in October. The industry employs an Integrated Pest Management approach, utilizing combinations of scouting, trapping, and biological control. The main insect pests are filbertworm, filbert leafroller, obliquebanded leafroller, and filbert aphids. The aphid parasite Trioxys pallidus was imported from Europe and successfully established in Oregon. Eastern Filbert Blight, Anisogramma anomala, a fungus disease, is the most serious disease problem in the industry. Annual applications of nitrogen to the soil and boron applied to the foliage are routine for Oregon's hazelnut growers. OSU research has quantified the importance of good light distribution in the tree canopy for increased nut production. OSU recommends a 5-year rotational pruning program. Some growers use mechanical hedging instead of hand pruning. OSU is home to the world's largest hazelnut breeding program. `Barcelona' is still the main, cultivar grown, while `Ennis' is the main in-shell variety. There is growing interest in planting varieties with a high percent kernel, such as `Casina', `Willamette', and `Lewis'.