Density, biomass, and fruit and seed production potential of Mexican prickly poppy (Argemone mexicana L.) invasive alien plant species under different land uses and agroecology in South Wollo, Ethiopia

An increase in the establishment and spread of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) poses significant socioeconomic and environmental impacts. This study aimed to detect potential variations in the density, biomass, and fruit and seed production of Argemone mexicana L. IAPS along with land uses and agroecologies in south Wollo, Ethiopia. Using a stratified sampling method, eight kebeles, which are Ethiopia’s small administrative divisions, were sampled. The data were collected from four land use types covering two agroecology. One-way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD test, and an independent t-test were used to examine the differences between land use and agroecology respectively. The associations of density, biomass, fruit, and seed density with slope and elevation were assessed using simple linear regression, using R4.2.1 program software. The mean A. mexicana ha⁻¹ s’ varied, significantly from 19,000 to 82,416 and 35,079 to 47,062, the aboveground dry biomass in kg m⁻² was 0.032 to 1.59 and 0.1395 to 0.689, and the belowground dry biomass in kg m⁻² was 0.048 to 0.506 and 0.0988 to 0.2408 between land use and agroecology respectively. The mean fruit per A. mexicana varied from 19 to 97 and 35 to 56, and seed per fruit of A. mexicana was 330 to 400 and 351 to 378 between land use and agroecology, respectively. As the slope and elevation increased, the values of all the measured variables decreased. Grazing land and highland agroecology had the lowest mean values, whereas farmlands and agroecology in the midlands had the highest values. Intervention should began in farmland and midland agroecology to prevent A. mexicana invasion.