The introduction and spread of Ipomoea triloba in Turkey
Ipomoea triloba (Convolvulaceae) is an annual climbing vine with long stems of up to 5 m and numerous pinkish flowers. This plant is native to Central America and has been introduced into East and South-Eastern United States (Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina), Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Indonesia, Thailand, Hawaii and Australia. In the invaded range the species occurs in a variety of habitats including arable fields, orchards, coastal areas and ruderal habitats. Within the EPPO region, the species has previously been recorded in Spain near Sevilla (Andalucía) where the population covered more than 1 km in length of a water course. In addition, the species has been recorded in Israel where it has been recorded growing in cotton plantations. In 2014, in Turkey, I. triloba was first recorded from two different sites in Serik and Aksu districts of Antalya Province near the Mediterranean coast. In these regions, the species is thought to spread by seed through irrigation channels which are located throughout the agricultural area. Spread via this mechanism can be increased by flooding events which can occur annually in the Serik and Aksu districts. At present there are no ecological or socio-economic impact studies of the species in Turkey. However, observations suggest that it can block irrigation channels, and as the species grows within crops such as maize and cotton it has the potential to reduce yields and increase harvesting costs. The authors suggest a that Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) should be conducted for I. triloba and the spread of the species should be monitored and managed within Turkey.
Sources
Yazlik A, Űremiş, Uludağ A, Uzan K, Şenol SG (2018) Ipomoea triloba: an alien plant threatening many habitats in Turkey. EPPO Bulletin 48, 589-594.