Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato) header
Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato) profile picture

Aaron Cato

@AaronJCato

Extension Horticulture IPM Specialist at the University of Arkansas | Herpetologist at heart| Follow #uaexHORT for updates and info | Opinions are my own

 Little Rock, AR
Joined September 2011
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Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)Photo by Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)
Thanks to our friend Bill Landreth for helping to bring a new crop to the Jackson County Extension Center this year. We have wanted to help commercial horticulture farmers by adding new research to the area. First crop will be strawberries. @AaronJCato
Image from Jackson County UAEX (@jacksonctyuaex)
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#Acephate is under registration review. This could completely end its use in all row crops. Well thought out comments really do impact EPA decisions. It is critical that we keep this product in cotton and soybean. Link to the comment site below.
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Aaron Cato retweeted
Ed Sikora (@alabamaED) profile picture
Ed Sikora@alabamaED9 Nov 2023
Extension Horticulture IPM Specialist Aaron Cato @AaronJCato from the University of Arkansas discussing insect management of strawberries 🍓 this morning at the Alabama Strawberry Production meeting in Jemison, Alabama. #ACES
Image from Ed Sikora (@alabamaED)
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ALERT!! #SpottedLaternfly Detected in Middle Tennessee. TDA has confirmed the detection of spotted lanternfly (SLF) in Davidson County. Tennessee is the 16th state to detect SLF since it was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. FULL RELEASE: tn.gov/agriculture/news/2023…
Image from TN Dept. of Ag (@TNAgriculture)
Image from TN Dept. of Ag (@TNAgriculture)
Image from TN Dept. of Ag (@TNAgriculture)
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Episode 17 of the Southern Fruitcast is out and features Dr. Jonathan Oliver from UGA. This episode is all about cane blight and other problematic diseases of blackberry. Listen in on the Apple or Android podcast apps or follow the link below👇 bit.ly/SoFCast #uaexHORT
Cane blight seen collapsing blackberry floricanes in Arkansas.

ALT Cane blight seen collapsing blackberry floricanes in Arkansas.

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Broad mite is beginning to infest and damage blackberry and you should be on the lookout! Broad mite often shows up in late July and we've already observed leaf necrosis and abortion as seen in pics below on 8/2. See our blog for more info 👉bit.ly/BMites #uaexHORT
Beginning stages of broad mite damage on blackberry primocanes as identified by shortened internode length and rolled or spade like leaves.

ALT Beginning stages of broad mite damage on blackberry primocanes as identified by shortened internode length and rolled or spade like leaves.

Late stages of broad mite damage to blackberry canes which results in necrosis and death of leaves, with eventual abortion. These regions of canes often don't produce a bud that will break in the following year and we generally see continued dieback to the base of the cane if not controlled.

ALT Late stages of broad mite damage to blackberry canes which results in necrosis and death of leaves, with eventual abortion. These regions of canes often don't produce a bud that will break in the following year and we generally see continued dieback to the base of the cane if not controlled.

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Corn earworm moth trap numbers are up all over the state. Pictured here is our trap near Ft. Smith. Checkout our pest scouting map for more info @ uaex.uada.edu/hort-IPM. If you are growing tomatoes now is the time to scout and maybe apply insecticides! #uaexHORT
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Pumpkins coming soon to a demo near you. #uaexHORT
Image from Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)
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If you aren't already spraying for SWD in AR Blackberries you may consider! We are catching flies in fields in South AR now (see below pics). Checkout our new SWD monitoring Fact Sheet bit.ly/SWDTrap and our pest scouting page uaex.uada.edu/Hort-IPM for more info.
Image from Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)
Image from Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)
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Never a dull day at @uarkhort. We’re currently retrofitting a classic boom type sprayer with a 5-nozzle hoop for spraying strawberries. We’re building a how-to video for our YouTube channel, ARFruitveg, and a fact sheet so you can build your own. #uaexHORT
Image from Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)
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Our research and extension centers are busy planting! The Southwest Research & Extension Center in Hope is putting beds in the tunnel houses for @aaronjcato 's blackberry research this summer. @AginArk #Arkansas #Blackberries #Spring #Planting
Image from Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station (@ArkAgResearch)
Image from Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station (@ArkAgResearch)
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Squash Vine Borer emergence is beginning in AR. We expect to see adults at 750-1000 GDD: Ft. Smith-739 Clarksville-558 Hope-842 Little Rock-875 Fayetteville-580 Jonesboro-539 See here for more information on control and management of SVB bit.ly/SquashVineBorer #uaexHORT
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Peaches that made it through the freeze in SW AR were found easily by plum curculio. We recommend an insecticide application around petal fall-shucksplit to avoid damage from first gen plum curculio. Emergence traps can be used to help time this app as pictured. #uaexHORT
Image from Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)
Image from Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)
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Grape berry moth traps in AR went out this week. Our goal is to use moth counts along with scouting of wild grapes to determine when moths are coming into fields to time insecticides. Check out our pest scouting page for updates uaex.uada.edu/hort-ipm #uaexHORT
Sticky trap with Grape Berry Moth pheromone places nearby a wooded area at the edge of a grape orchard in Arkansas.

ALT Sticky trap with Grape Berry Moth pheromone places nearby a wooded area at the edge of a grape orchard in Arkansas.

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With the recent warm weather we are close to squash vine borer emergence. We expect to see adults at 1000 GDD (Base 50): Ft. Smith-450 Clarksville-318 Hope-554 Little Rock-567 Fayetteville-305 Jonesboro-304 Follow our pest scouting page for future updates uaex.uada.edu/hort-ipm
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Squash vine borer uses a base 50F model with a January 1 biofix (when you start counting). The high for Little Rock Monday was 82F and the low was 60F. First find the mean temp (85+72)/2=71. Subtract your model base from the average - 71-50=21. SVB accumulated 21 GDD April 3rd.
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Our model base is considered the lower development threshold, so we would substitute 50F for the low temp if it doesn't reach this threshold. If our temp for Thursday are a high of 62F and a low of 48F as projected, we should expect 6 GDD to accumulate (62+50)/2=56. 56-50= 6 GDD
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Aaron Cato retweeted
Ed Sikora (@alabamaED) profile picture
Ed Sikora@alabamaED16 Mar 2023
Botrytis gray mold developing on strawberries. The fungus can be introduced into a field on infected transplants or can survive on dead plant material and in soil as sclerotia. Gray mold can affect leaves, stems, flowers, and crowns of strawberry # Fungi #Plantdisease #Strawberry
Image from Ed Sikora (@alabamaED)
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The Dirty Dozen just dropped their list for 2023 and it seems that misinformation is still on the menu. Don't let one source of info prevent you from eating healthy food🍓🍑🍇🥒🌶️ See our fact sheet about pesticides on fruit and veggies 👉uaex.uada.edu/publications/p… #uaexHORT
Image from Aaron Cato (@AaronJCato)
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