Pecan Leaf Phylloxera
The most common complaint by pecan growers so far this season has been the resurgence of phylloxera. From the calls I have received and from the abundance of phylloxera galls in the orchards this year, 2016 seems to be a particularly bad year for phylloxera, perhaps a result of the mild winter. I have seen not only leaf, but also stem phylloxera in many orchards that have never had a problem before. While leaf phylloxera is usually more of a cosmetic problem than a threat to production, stem phylloxera can cause serious problems if left unchecked. See previous posts here and here regarding phylloxera.
Stem Phylloxera
However, growers will have to wait until the 2017 budbreak to address these problems. Once the galls have formed there is nothing you can do to control the pests. They must be sprayed at budbreak, preferably with imidacloprid, which is an inexpensive and very effective treatment. Dr. Will Hudson has been working to try and develop a systemic treatment method of applying imidacloprid over drip emitters late in the season and in early spring prior to budbreak but so far these methods have not been effective. So, the foliar spray at budbreak remains the only method of control and of course this is only practical in commercial orchards. There are currently no effective treatments for yard trees.
