Solanum carolinense in Austria
Solanum carolinense (Solanaceae - EPPO A2 List) is a weedy species in its native range (North America) where it can have a negative impact on agriculture and pastureland. It can reproduce by both seed and vegetatively; it can grow rapidly and thrives in a variety of biotic and abiotic conditions. It is also toxic to livestock and is reported as a host to several pest species. In the EPPO region, it has already been recorded in crops such as maize and sugar beet in Germany and Northern Italy. Projections of climatic suitability under current climate conditions reveal considerable scope for further invasion in Central European countries. In South-Eastern Austria, S. carolinense is in a phase of range filling and ongoing spread. In total, 72 populations were identified between 2019 and 2022. In Austria, S. carolinense infests different crops, such as soybean, maize and oil pumpkin, and grassland, but also non-agricultural habitats are invaded. Widespread invasion clusters were found in almost one fifth of the crop fields surveyed, indicating severe infestations locally. A species distribution model shows that only a relatively small part of Austria (8%) is currently climatically suitable. These areas are in the lowlands of Austria in both the north and south of the country. However, most of this area is under agricultural use. In Austria, there is a need to take effective measures against S. carolinense to halt further spread and to prevent yield losses.
A dynamic datasheet on S. carolinense is now available in the EPPO Global Database.
https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/SOLCA/datasheet
Sources
Follak S, Chapman D, Schwarz M, Essl F (2023) An emerging weed: rapid spread of Solanum carolinense in Austria. BioInvasions Records 12(3), 649–658.