Researchers, others study wood-boring beetle

NASHVILLE — A group of researchers from Tennessee State University will help develop new ways to manage a wood- boring beetle that attacks trees, the university said.

The university has received a $6 million federal grant to lead a nationwide team of researchers on the project. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The researchers in the College of Agriculture will focus on the flat-headed borer.

“These borers cause serious damage to the nursery industry, and sometimes a single borer can kill or severely weaken a small tree,” Chandra Reddy, dean of Tennessee State’s College of Agriculture, said in a news release.

Other researchers are from the University of Tennessee, Rutgers University, North Carolina State University, Clemson University, University of Georgia, USDA-Agriculture Research Service-Byron, University of Florida, Texas A& M, University of California and Oregon State University.