Georgia Invasive Species Task Force

Tropical Soda Apple - Georgia Status

November 10, 1999

Tropical Soda Apple, Solanum viarum, has been found and reported at 23 sites in Georgia. Ten of the infestations have been eradicated. Currently PPQ and GDA are monitoring 13 TSA sites in 10 counties. About 1300 TSA plants have been found and treated in 1999.

Appling County – During 1999, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection Division employees have surveyed and the cattleman has treated over 500 TSA plants on a dairy farm near Baxley.

Bacon County – During five visits, PPQ hand sprayed 25 TSA plants with 1% Grazon P+D behind the slaughter plant in Alma during 1999. During 1999, PPQ and GDA have found 149 TSA plants on a farm where manure from a slaughter plant was spread in two pastures.Most of the manure is piled and spread on fields later planted in cotton where no TSA is found because of cultivation and chemicals.

Baker County – Nine small TSA plants were found and destroyed in pasture on the cattle farm near Newton where TSA was first found in Georgia in 1994. In October, PPQ Methods Development tested Roundup Ultra in the woods and blackberry thickets to aid survey.

Ben Hill County – No additional TSA plants have been reported at the stockyard in Fitzgerald in 1998 and 1999. The owner had sprayed the area with herbicide and the infestation is eradicated.

Calhoun County – Last December, a farmer near Morgan reported a few TSA plants near a corral used for cattle from Florida.All the plants and fruit were burned, sprayed, and/or buried. No TSA plants were found by PPQ/CES this year. The infestation is eradicated.

Decatur County – No TSA plants have been found in a field where a cattleman planted TSA contaminated bahiagrass seed in 1997.The infestation has been eradicated by the cattleman.

Dooly County – On May 27^th, GDA found and dug up 3 small TSA plants in a pasture north of Vienna. No more TSA plants have been found.

Early County – During 1999, PPQ has found three small TSA plants in the pasture near Damascus and applied 1% Grazon P + D to the area. The infestation has been eradicated.

Mitchell County – During 1999, about 152 TSA plants have been found and treated in infested field borders at a site north of Camilla. PPQ and CES have surveyed.PPQ and the owner have spot treated TSA plants with 1% Grazon P+D. In the spring, Methods Development applied 1% Roundup Ultra by ATV along the edge of a burned over cyprus swamp aid in survey.

Pierce County – October 1998, GDA found one TSA plant at a stockyard. In 1999, 8 plants have been destroyed by GDA and PPQ. PPQ Methods Development sprayed the infestation as a cooperative demonstration. The infestation has been eradicated.

Seminole County – GDA found large TSA plants with fruit behind the stockyard in Donalsonville during the fall. PPQ sprayed most of the plants and asked a contact person to bury them. This spring only 28 small TSA plants have been found by GDA and PPQ.

Thomas County – Last September, Veterinary Services found TSA in the stockyard in Thomasville. PPQ has spot treated and Methods Development applied herbicides to aid survey. GDA and PPQ monitor the stockyard. About 75 TSA plants have been sprayed during 1999. A second infestation was found in Thomas County by GDA on July 2^nd. The owner has treated about 100 TSA plants in a pasture.

Turner County – Last November, three TSA plants were destroyed in the wash out area behind the stockyard south of Ashburn.None have been found in 1999.

Wayne County – GDA has surveyed and the owner has treated about 57 small TSA plants on a farm in Odum this year. The second site in Wayne County is a 10 acre stockyard near Jesup. In 1999, about 113 TSA plants have been spot treated by PPQ.

Worth County – PPQ and GDA visited the cattleman near Sylvester. PPQ and the owner have spot treated 24 TSA plants.

Arthur E. Miller
State Operations Support Officer
Conyers, GA