Grass weed identification - Brome

Brome in Ireland falls into two main categories. Anisantha bromes include sterile brome and great brome. Sterile brome is the most common of the bromes in the Republic of Ireland, but it is worth noting that there is a significant great brome burden in the north of the country.

Brome in Ireland falls into two main categories. Anisantha bromes include sterile brome and great brome. Sterile brome is the most common of the bromes in the Republic of Ireland, but it is worth noting that there is a significant great brome burden in the north of the country.

The other, slightly less common brome species are known as the Serrafalcus bromes. These include meadow brome, soft brome and rye brome.

Different post-harvest treatments apply to the different bromes. Early post-harvest cultivations are advisable if you have a sterile/great brome problem, but not for the serrafalcus bromes.

Sterile and great brome both have drooping, wedge shaped spikelets, with long spreading awns. Visually, they are quite similar, however, great brome has larger spikelets and the axis of their panicles is hairy, whereas the sterile brome axis is hairless.

Sterile Brome

Soft brome, meadow brome and rye brome are somewhat more difficult to differentiate, but this can be helped with some useful keys. Soft brome and meadow brome have hairy lower leaf sheaths. The spikelets of soft brome are also hairy, whereas the spikelets of meadow brome are not.

The lower leaf sheaths of soft and meadow brome are visibly hairy

Rye brome is more upright than the other bromes. It has a hairless lower leaf sheath in general (not always). Unlike the spikelets of soft and meadow brome, there are small, visible gaps between the seeds in rye brome. Also, if you take a dry, ripe seed and cut it across (cross-section) with a sharp blade, rye brome will have a v-shaped cross-section, whereas soft and meadow brome will have a saucer shape.

You can browse the 2021 Agronomy Autumn Update here

For more information please contact your local Glanbia Ireland Agronomist.

First Published: 20 October 2021

Tagged with: Tillage

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