The FAO assists farmers to manage Solanum elaegnifolium
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published a press release in multiple languages, including English and French, on Solanum elaeagnifolium entitled “Iraq and Syria under attack from devastating alien weed Silverleaf nightshade takes root in Lebanon and Jordan too”. The webpage describes the impacts to cotton, wheat and olive production, as well as to biodiversity. On the request of the governments of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, FAO is implementing a project to assist farmers in managing and preventing further spread of this weed through integrated weed management. FAO therefore recommends that farmers rotate regular crops with lucerne, which covers the ground and competes with S. elaeagnifolium. A video is available in which Gualbert Gbèhouno, FAO weed officer, explains what alien weeds are, what the threats caused by S. elaeagnifolium are, how it was introduced into the Near East, and what FAO is doing.
Sources
FAO Media Centre, 24th of May 2011, Iraq and Syria under attack from devastating alien weed, Silverleaf nightshade takes root in Lebanon and Jordan too. http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/75333/icode/