Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum viarum, TSA) is a highly invasive weed that aggressively colonizes disturbed areas, forming dense thickets that displace native vegetation and significantly reduce agricultural productivity. While TSA's prolific seed production and efficient dispersal mechanisms are well-documented contributors to its invasiveness, the plant's capacity for vegetative reproduction through root and shoot fragments remains poorly understood. This knowledge gap presents a critical barrier to developing effective management strategies, as control measures involving soil disturbance may inadvertently promote vegetative spread. This study investigates the root and shoot regenerative capacity of TSA through a controlled glasshouse experiment examining the influence of root and stem fragment size and burial depth on sprouting success. Using a 3×3×2 factorial design, we assess the regenerative potential of three root fragment lengths (2.5 cm, 5 cm, and 10 cm) buried at four different depths (2.5 cm, 5 cm, and 10 cm Results showed the there was no significant differences in emergence timing, growth vigor, and reproductive capacity between plants regenerated from different root and shoot fragments. Regeneration occurred from root and stem fragments as short as 2.5 cm, with shoot production increasing with root fragment length, suggesting that even minor root disturbance during control operations could contribute to weed spread. Emergence timing generally increases with burial depth, with fragments at 10 cm reduced or nil emergence compared to shallower placements. These findings highlight the importance of considering both sexual and asexual reproduction pathways when developing management approaches for TSA, particularly when buried and mechanical control methods are employed in infested areas. Results of this study will assist land managers to shift TSA control efforts from reactive to proactive, ensuring mechanical and chemical control strategies effectively suppress both sexual and asexual regeneration pathways.

Keywords: Solanum viarum, reproduction, dispersal, invasive, burial depth