USDA clears genetically engineered American chestnut, sparking debate over forest restoration
The USDA’s APHIS deregulated the genetically modified Darling 54 chestnut, a wheat-gene-enhanced tree that resists blight, but some scientists question its field performance.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has removed regulatory restrictions on Darling 54, a genetically engineered American chestnut designed to withstand the blight that devastated billions of trees by the 1950s. Developed at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the tree incorporates a wheat gene that produces oxalate oxidase, breaking down the toxic oxalate released by the fungus.
APHIS judged the variety unlikely to increase plant-pest risk, equating its ecological safety to that of native trees, though EPA approval remains pending. Proponents such as Andrew Newhouse of ESF’s restoration project see the tree as a key step toward reestablishing lost forest functions. However, the American Chestnut Foundation’s Jared Westbrook notes reduced growth and survival in trials and cautions that premature field failures could fuel anti-biotech sentiment. The foundation continues its traditional breeding program with Chinese chestnut genes, aiming for release in seven to ten years.
Why it matters
Restoring the American chestnut could reshape eastern U.S. forests, but regulatory and scientific disputes affect how quickly the tree returns.
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