 The Northern Nut Growers Association (NNGA) has also been active in pursuing viable hybrids.From 1962 to 1990, Alfred Szego and other members of the NNGA developed hybrids with Chinese varieties which showed limited resistance.Initially the backcrossing method would breed a hybrid from an American Chestnut nut and a Chinese Chestnut, the hybrid would then be bred with a normal American Chestnut, subsequent breeding would involve a hybrid and an American Chestnut or two hybrids, which would increase the genetic makeup of the hybrids primarily American Chestnut but still retain the blight resistance of the Chinese Chestnut

Researchers at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), have developed partially blight-resistant transgenic American chestnuts that are capable of surviving infection by "Cryphonectria parasitica".