tropical soda apple tia bauer. tropical soda apple: solanum viarum duna a perennial shrub native...
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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
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