30/10/2026
🌿 AgForce’s Biosecurity Issue of the Month: Tropical Soda Apple
Tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum) is a prickly perennial shrub originating from South America. First detected in Qld in 2010 in South East Qld, it is a restricted invasive plant under the Queensland Biosecurity Act.
🚨 Any new sightings must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 within 24 hours.
🔎 Why producers should be on the lookout:
💠 Tropical soda apple invades pastures and rapidly displaces desirable grazing species. It prefers open, disturbed sites, particularly pastures and areas around cattle yards.
💠 Each fruit holds roughly 180–240 seeds. Livestock and other animals eat the fruit and spread seeds through their manure, meaning a single plant can seed new infestations across a property.
💠 It has recently been detected on properties in the Somerset and Moreton Bay regions and is concentrated in the Mid North Coast area of New South Wales.
💠 It can host a range of plant viruses, adding risk for neighbouring horticulture and cropping producers.
🌱 What to look for
Upright, multi-branched shrub 0.5–2 m tall, with thorn-like prickles up to 12 mm long on stems and leaves. Immature fruit are round and mottled light and dark green, like a watermelon, ripening to yellow at 1–3 cm across. Flowers are white with petals that curl back.
🛡️ Protect your property
To reduce the high risk of introducing this plant, livestock exposed to tropical soda apple must be quarantined for 6–10 days in a small, monitored paddock.
The paddock must then be monitored for 6–8 weeks, as seedlings emerge and fruit quickly.
Wash down vehicles, machinery and stock transport in a dedicated area to remove soil and manure.
🤝 AgForce’s position
AgForce supports a strong, coordinated response to tropical soda apple, given its proven capacity to spread rapidly and cause immense damage overseas.
