Tropical Soda Apple

Tia Bauer

Tropical Soda Apple:Solanum viarum Duna

A perennial shrub native to Brazil and

Argentina Has become a weed

in other areas of South America and in Africa, India, Nepal, West Indies, Honduras, and Mexico

Recently in the U.S

Preferred Habitat primarily in pastures,

ditch banks, roadsides, cattle yards, and wet areas of various fieldscannot

survive standing water for extended periods of time

as a weed of nature it preserves where it displaces native plants by crowding and shading

Physical DescriptionTropical Soda Apple differs from other Solanum species by having the young fruits colored like mini-water melons, straight thorns, and petiolate leaves.

Life Path Tropical soda apple reaches

maturity from seed within 105 days

It is difficult to eradicate due to rapid regeneration of

shoots from an extensive root system

Flowering and fruiting time have not been established in northern climates but it is likely to flower from June

to September One plant can produce 40,000 to

50,000 seeds Germination rate greater than

75%.

Classification Species: Solanum viarum Dunal –

tropical soda apple

Family Solanaceae– Potato family

Kingdom: Plantae- Plants

Dispersal means of dispersal

of tropical soda apple in the U.S. is livestock and wildlife

raccoons, deer, feral hogs, and birds feeding on fruits

Foliage (the leaves, not the fruit) is unpalatable to livestock although cattle will eat the mature fruit

Scarification of seeds by digestive systems of livestock and wildlife seems to promote seed germination…

But not always…

The Problem… Tropical soda apple

is a threat to the vegetable crop industry as a competitive weed

because it is an alternate host for numerous pathogens that are diseases

Some endangered crops include:

eggplant, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes

Infections These vegetable crop patho-gens include:

the cucumber mosaic virus, Gemini virus, potato leafroll virus, potato virus Y, tobacco etch virus, tomato mosaic virus, tomato mottle virus, and the fungal pathogen, Alternaria solani

The Cattle Industry It cost the cattle business

over $11 million in 1994 Damage to croplands,

forestlands, and natural habitats and the cost of control of currently infested areas is difficult to determine

has the potential to become a major problem throughout the southern U.S. and could cost farmers and the public billions of dollars annually.

Illness occurs, including brain damage visible upon autopsy

Farmers and ranchers that find tropical soda apple quarantine their cattle from the area as they eliminate it.

Solutions? Biological: Several species of Solanum

are native and no biological controls for Solanum viarum are in widespread use.

Physical No physical controls are currently recommended for tropical soda apple.

Does anything work? Chemical: Chemical

controls can be effective for tropical soda apple.

Triclopyr

Also, Sprays containing aminopyralid are effective at preventing plant growth and germination for several months

Mechanical Removal

Mechanical: Hand removal is discouraged unless extreme caution is used.

Plants can regenerate from roots, so complete removal is necessary

Mowing is also an effective way to remove, even after the flowering process has begun.

Natural EnemiesMore than 75 species of insects were collected from tropical soda apple in

the United States 2001, A strain of the tobacco mild green

mosaic virus (TMGMV U2), tested in greenhouse and field trials, found to be lethal to tropical soda apple

Predatory Insect Gratiana boliviana

native to South America

eats holes in the plant's leaves, skeletonizing and killing it

Dangerous Introduction?No, this beetle eats

exclusively tropical soda apple, so if the plant disappears in an area, the beetles will move on or die, rather than attacking native vegetation.

Should We Worry?

Sources for Images and Information Joá-bravohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/tanaka/83698840/ Pest Alerthttp://www.wvagriculture.org/images/Plant_Industries/Tropical_Soda_Apple.pdf Tropical Soda Apple http://www.gri.msstate.edu/ipams/FactSheets/Tropical_soda_apple.pdf Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plantshttp://www.gri.msstate.edu/ipams/FactSheets/Tropical_soda_apple.pdf Regional Soda Apple Task Forcehttp://www.tropicalsodaapple.org/tsabiocontrol.cfm What Kills Soda Appleshttp://www.ehow.com/info_10047299_kill-soda-apples.html Google Imageshttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&cp=12&gs_id=1h&xhr=t&q=tropical+soda+apple&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1095&bih=770&wrapid=tljp1335898143639022&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=JTCgT7_RNajx0gHB96mjAg