Tropical Soda Apple
Maren Lewallen
Scientific Name: Solanum viarum
- Native to: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina
- Introduced to USA in 1985 in Florida
- The pathway of introduction is unknown, but it may has been accidentally introduced with cattle carrying undigested TSA seeds that were imported from Brazil.
- Tropical soda apple is a threat to the vegetable crop industry as a competitive weed and because it is an alternate host for numerous pathogens that are diseases of eggplant, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.
- Solution: Triclopyr is very effective for control of emerged tropical soda apple when applied at 1 quart per acre or 1 to 1.5 percent solution with ΒΌ percent nonionic surfactant.
- Located in southeastern states