Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK

Oklahoma Alfalfa
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station

Downy Brome

COMMON NAME: Downy Brome
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Bromus tectorum L.
TYPE: Annual Cool-season Weedy Grass
DESCRIPTION  
    Germination: September to November.
    Reproduction: By seeds late April to early May.
    Stems: Erect or spreading, slender, 6 to 24 inches high.
    Leaves: Blades and sheaths covered with long soft hairs.
Flowers/
Inflorescence:
Rather dense panicle, soft, very drooping, often purplish.  Spikelets 4- to 7-flowered.
 Fruit: Seed unit long and narrow and includes lemma and palea, lemma pubescent and awned (1/2 to 3/4 inch awn).

FOUND:

Downy brome is found in pastures, small grains, along roadsides and is a major problem in old thinning alfalfa stands. It has very poor forage quality, so it drastically reduces the value of alfalfa hay.

CONTROL:

In seedling stands of fall-planted alfalfa, good control is obtained with fall application of POAST PLUS or SELECT. In established stands, good control is obtained with residual herbicide like VELPAR and SINBAR (0.5 lb/A of active ingredient) applied January to February.

In Alfalfa
tn_downy-br-01_jpg.jpg (2533 bytes)
Plant
tn_downy-br-02_jpg.jpg (1112 bytes)
Leaf
tn_downy-br-03_jpg.jpg (1628 bytes)
Plant
tn_d-brome-97_jpg.jpg (1656 bytes)
Seed Head
Additional Downy Brome Images
Jim Stritzke
Former Alfalfa Weed Control Specialist
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
Oklahoma State University

       

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