ARS | Publication request: TROPICAL SODA APPLE (SOLANUM VIARUM DUNAL) IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL

Submitted to: Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Bulletin
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: June 24, 2004
Publication Date: July 30, 2004
Citation: Byrd, J.D., Bryson, C.T., Westbrooks, R.G. 2004. Tropical soda apple (solanum viarum dunal) identification and control. Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Bulletin. pp. 2.

Interpretive Summary: Tropical soda apple is a non-native invasive and federal noxious weed that has spread at an alarming rate in the southeastern United States. This weed now infests over 1.5 million acres, continues to spread, and threatens additional agricultural, forest, urban, and natural areas. A bulletin was developed to educate farmers, landowners, consultants, county agents, researchers, and the general public on proper identification of tropical soda apple and to provide the most recent methods for its control.

Technical Abstract: Tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum Dunal) is still spreading at an alarming rate in the Southeastern United States. Following its first detection in Florida in 1988, tropical soda apple has now established in more than 1.5 million acres throughout the Mid South Region of the United States. A history of tropical soda apple spread, the means of dispersal, taxonomic description, ecological information, its threat to agriculture, forest, urban, and natural area and the most recent methods of control are provided for this noxious weed.