Pecan Root Borer Control

The prionus root borers of pecan, commonly called the tilehorned prionus and the broadnecked root borer, feed on the larger roots of the tree as larvae causing the roots to weaken and break when the feeding site becomes larger than the root. In 2009, UGA entomologists found that the sex pheromone that the female prionus beetle releases to attract males as mates was highly attractive to several species of prionus root borers, including the two species on Georgia pecans. The pheromone was developed for use in pecan orchards through research at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in cooperation with commercial Georgia pecan growers. The pheromone was synthesized, mass produced and became commercially available for use. Trapping methods were developed in many horticultural crops across the U.S. where the root borers are pests. The research provides an effective control method for a pest problem that could only be controlled by removing affected pecan trees. The new method is less expensive than removing trees and replanting trees. Most Georgia pecan growers with a significant infestation are currently cooperating in the research effort.