Declared plant in Western Australia

Apple of Sodom (Solanum linnaeanum)

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See also: Control Method | Weed description | Declared plants list

(Locality Code: C= City; S=Shire; T=Town)

Category: P1, P4

Location: For the municipal districts of Augusta-Margaret River (S), Boyup Brook (S), Bridgetown-Greenbushes (S), Bunbury (C), Busselton (S), Capel (S), Collie (S), Dardanup (S), Donnybrook-Balingup (S), Harvey (S), Mandurah (C), Manjimup (S), Murray (S), Nannup (S), Serpentine-Jarrahdale (S), Waroona (S).

Category: P1, P2

Location: For the municipal districts of Albany (C), Cranbrook (S), Denmark (S), Gnowangerup (S), Jerramungup (S), Plantagenet (S). Except for the Plantagenet Locations 4901, 3433, 5154, 3434, 5959 and 3435

Category: P1, P3

Location: Plantagenet Locations 4901, 3433, 5154, 3434, 5959 and 3435

Control Codes and Landholder Obligations

REQUIREMENTS

Prohibits movement

The movement of plants or their seeds is prohibited within the State.

This prohibits the movement of contaminated machinery and produce including livestock and fodder.

REQUIREMENTS

Aim is to eradicate infestation

Treat all plants to destroy and prevent propagation each year until no plants remain. The infested area must be managed in such a way that prevents the spread of seed or plant parts on or in livestock, fodder, grain, vehicles and/or machinery.

REQUIREMENTS

Aims to control infestation by reducing area and/or density of infestation

The infested area must be managed in such a way that prevents the spread of seed or plant parts within and from the property on or in livestock, fodder, grain, vehicles and/or machinery.

Treat to destroy and prevent seed set all plants:

· within 100 metres inside of the boundaries of the infestation

· within 50 metres of roads and highwater mark on waterways

· within 50 metres of sheds, stock yards and houses

Treatment must be done prior to seed set each year.

Of the remaining infested area:-

Where plant density is 1-10 per hectare treat 100% of infestation.

Where plant density is 11-100 per hectare treat 50% of infestation. Where plant density is 101-1000 per hectare treat 10% of infestation.

Properties with less than 2 hectares of infestation must treat the entire infestation.

Additional areas may be ordered to be treated.

REQUIREMENTS

Aims to prevent infestation spreading beyond existing boundaries of infstation.

The infested area must be managed in such a way that prevents the spread of seed or plant parts within and from the property on or in livestock, fodder, grain, vehicles and/or machinery.

Treat to destroy and prevent seed set all plants:

· within 100 metres inside of the boundaries of the infested property

· within 50 metres of roads and highwater mark on waterways

· within 50 metres of sheds, stock yards and houses

Treatment must be done prior to seed set each year. Properties with less than 2 hectares of infestation must treat the entire infestation.

Additional areas may be ordered to be treated.

Special considerations

In the case of P4 infestations where they continue across property boundaries there is no requirement to treat the relevant part of the property boundaries as long as the boundaries of the infestation as a whole are treated. There must be agreement between neighbours in relation to the treatment of these areas.

Control Method

Recommended herbicides

Spring - Summer
Amitrole T®
Triclopyr
Glyphosate
Flowering to early fruiting
Picloram + 2,4-D amine

Herbicide	:	Amitrole T®, Weedeath®
Active ingredient	:	250 g/litre amitrole + 220 g/litre ammonium thiocyanate (Group F)
Rates of dilution for spot spraying	:	1:100
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	100 mL
Rate of product per hectare	:	Not Recommended
Wetting agent dilution	:	1:600
Time of application	:	Almost any time of year - spring and summer preferred
Remarks	:	Mature plants killed by single treatment but follow-up needed when new seedlings emerge.
More information and other control methods	:	Grub and burn large plants. Remove roots also. Control of seedlings may be necessary for several years. Brush off® (metsulfuron) @ 10-20 g/100 litres effective in trials.

Herbicide	:	Triclopyr (various trade names - AVPMA site)
Active ingredient	:	600 g/litre triclopyr (Group I)
Rates of dilution for spot spraying	:	1:300
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	30 mL
Rate of product per hectare	:	Not Recommended
Wetting agent dilution	:	1:400 + summer spraying oil @ 1:400 may be ued
Time of application	:	When actively growing (spring - summer)
Remarks	:	1:400 + wetting agent @ 100 mL BS-1000 to 100L
More information and other control methods	:	Grub and burn large plants. Remove roots also. Control of seedlings may be necessary for several years. Brush off® (metsulfuron) @ 10-20 g/100 litres effective in trials.

Herbicide	:	Glyphosate (various trade names - AVPMA site)
Active ingredient	:	360, 450, 490/500 & 540 g/litre and 680 g/kg glyphosate (Group M)
Rates of dilution for spot spraying	:	1:100 for 360 g/L formulation
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	100 mL for 360 g/L formulation 80 mL for 450 g/L formulation 70 mL for 490/500 g/L formulation 65 mL for 540 g/L formulation 50 g for 680 g/kg formulation Other concentrations of glyphosate available. Adjust rates if using them.
Rate of product per hectare	:	Not Recommended
Time of application	:	When actively growing spring, summer
Remarks	:	Not as effective as other treatments
More information and other control methods	:	The addition of the wetting agent/penetrant Pulse® @ 1:500 may increase the effectiveness.

Herbicide	:	Picloram + 2,4-D amine
Active ingredient	:	75 g/litre picloram + 300 g/litre 2,4-D (Group I)
Rates of dilution for spot spraying	:	1:300 to 1:150
Amount of product per 10 litres water	:	30 mL to 65 mL
Wetting agent dilution	:	1:400
Time of application	:	Flowering to early fruiting
Remarks	:	Residual effects of picloram will persist for 1-2 seasons, depending on rates, affecting legumes but not grasses

Weed Description

Family: Solanaceae

Form: Shrub – Perennial

Status: Present in WA

(click to view image)

Native of South Africa and the Mediterranean area. In Western Australia it has mainly been found on coastal limestone soils from Yanchep to Mandurah and around Busselton and Augusta. It is also occasionally seen further inland.

Apple of Sodom is an erect branching woody shrub. It usually grows about one to two metres high, but occasionally reaches five metres. The plant forms dense thickets which provide cover for rabbits and shade out pasture plants. The thickets also restrict the movement of farm animals and machinery.

Stems: Green-purple to brown with 1 cm long curved straw coloured spines.

Leaves: Long leaves with deep irregular lobes. They are up to 15 cm long with long curved spines on both surfaces of the leaf. These are arranged along the veins and leaf stalk. Both stems and leaves are covered with minute star-shaped hairs.

Flowers: Appear in spring and summer. They are about 2 cm across and their colour is purple-white with a yellow centre. Flowers contain five petals joined to form a star and curved inwards like a bell.

Fruits: Round, tomato-like fruit, green and white at first, turning yellow, then brown and black as it ripens. The fruit is about 30 mm in diameter. It contains numerous round flattened light brown seeds each about 3 mm across.

Seeds: Most of the seed germinates in spring and late summer. Some seed may remain dormant in the soil for several years. Germination is greatly increased when the adult plant is removed.

Other relevant information related to this topic:

· Quarantine WA

· Permitted and quarantine species list

· Permit for minor off-label-use of a registered agvet chemical product
(Permit number – per9655)

· Off-label permit (olp) for use of a registered agvet chemical product
(Permit number - per4590)

· Off-label permit (olp) for use of a registered agvet chemical product
(Permit number – per4595)