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Summary
Duration	Annual
Growth Habit	Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Introduced to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator
Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Fall, Winter and Spring
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	None
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Low
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Yellow
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Moderate
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Bunch
Growth Rate	Rapid
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	3
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Short
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None
Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	None
CaCO3 Tolerance	Low
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	Low
Fertility Requirement	Medium
Fire Tolerance	None
Frost Free Days, Minimum	120
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Medium
pH, Minimum	5.2
pH, Maximum	7.5
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum
Precipitation, Minimum	26
Precipitation, Maximum	55
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	12
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-23
Reproduction
Bloom Period	Mid Spring
Commercial Availability	No Known Source
Fruit/Seed Abundance	High
Fruit/Seed Period Begin
Fruit/Seed Period End
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	No
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	280000
Seed Spread Rate	Rapid
Seedling Vigor	High
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None
Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	Medium
Palatable Graze Animal	Low
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Low
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

 

Kingdom  Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom  Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision  Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division  Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class  Liliopsida -- Monocotyledons

Subclass  Commelinidae

Order  Cyperales

Family  Poaceae -- Grass family

Genus  Bromus L. -- brome P

Species  Bromus arvensis L. -- field brome P

 

Caution: This plant may become invasive.  Please consult specialists in your area.

 

Uses

Field brome is used primarily as a winter cover crop on vegetable lands and in orchards in the Northeast.  Due to its heavy root growth and low, dense top growth, it gives good protection against wind and water erosion.  The heavy root growth makes it a useful green manure crop.  When used as a cover plant, it provides good pasturage for Canada geese, especially in the spring.

 

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

 

Weediness

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service office, or state natural resource or agriculture department regarding its status and use.  Weed information is also available from the PLANTS Web site at plants.usda.gov.

 

Description

Field brome is a winter annual.  It produces dense, low leafy growth in the fall.  Spring growth starts earlier than most other annual grasses used for cover crops.  It does not have creeping stolons or rhizomes, but tillers profusely.  It produces seedheads in late spring or early summer.  Seed stalks are 2 to 3 feet tall.  The principal characteristics that make it an outstanding cover crop are the extensive fiberous root system and the relatively short top growth.  It is winter hardy in northeast and north central regions.  It grows vigorously under high fertility and often smothers other grasses or weeds.  It is an excellent seed producer and can maintain itself as a reseeding annual.  There are 250,000 seeds per pound.

 

Adaptation

Field brome does best on medium textured soils that are moderately well-drained to well-drained.  It has done well in lowlands subject to flooding and on sloping, gravelly soils.  The most suitable pH range is between 6.0 and 7.0.

 

Field brome can be found throughout the United States.  For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

 

Establishment

The best seeding date for field brome is mid-August in the North to early September in the South.  When used as a cover crop in cropland, field brome is usually seeded at the time of the last cultivation.  Field brome should be seeded for orchard cover on a firm seedbed.  Seeding rate is 10 pounds per acre.  Rolling, cultipacking, or cultivating after broadcast seeding is essential for a uniform stand.  Field brome is a heavy user of nitrogen and best growth is produced when nitrogen is available.  The light, fluffy seed of field brome may cause some planting difficulties.  The seed is best applied using a power driven cyclone type seeder with an agitator.  A cultipacker seeder or a grain drill with a positive type feed may be used for planting.

 

Management

Nitrogen application is not essential for cover crop use, but supplemental nitrogen may be added to increase growth and to speed up breakdown of the heavy sod after plowing.  Without adequate nitrogen the succeeding crop, particularly vegetables, may show nitrogen deficiency.  This grass can be heavily grazed in late fall and again in the spring for 6 to 8 weeks.

 

When managed as a reseeding annual in orchards, the stand should be disked in the spring before seedheads are produced, leaving only 10 percent of the stand to produce seed.  This will provide ample seed to re-establish the stand the following fall.  After seed maturity, the entire stand can be disked under.

 

Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

'Svalof's Sleipner' is the only released variety of field bromegrass.  Most seed produced in this country can be traced to this variety.

 

Control

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it safely.  Always read label and safety instructions for each control method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to provide specific information.  USDA, NRCS does not guarantee or warranty the products and control methods named, and other products may be equally effective.

 

Prepared By & Species Coordinator:

USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

 

Edited: 01Feb2002 JLK; 25may06jsp

 

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

 

 

 

Attribution:  U.S. Department of Agriculture