Common Name: Smooth Brome

General Information

Bromus inermis is an erect, loosely clumping, perennial grass with extensively spreading rhizomes; it can grow 50 - 120cm tall[, ].
The plant is used in soil stabilization projects.
Bromus inermis has been spread worldwide through seed production for pasture and fodder[]. It is an invasive, perennial grass that has made an extensive impact on the grasslands of North America. Originally introduced as a livestock improvement crop, it has since invaded natural prairies and grasslands where it forms a dense sod resulting in the smothering and outcompeting of native grasses and other species, thius decreasing biodiversity[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Temperate Eurasia - Finland to Spain, east to Mongolia. China Pakistan and the western Himalayas

Habitat

Gullies on slopes, roadsides, river banks, dominant species of mountain meadows; at elevations from 1,000 - 3,500 metres in northern China[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Bromus inermis is a plant of the temperate zone, where it is found from cold continetal climates to subropical areas. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 12 - 25°c, but can tolerate 2 - 45°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -35°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 5°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 20 - 1,700mm[].
The plant is suited to silt or clay soils and deep loams, but also does well on light sandy soils and on well-drained soils[]. It has a moderate tolerance of saline soils[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4 - 8.2[]..
There are a number of named varieties, selected mainly as hay and pasture crops. These cultivars are divided into two groups, northern and southern. The southern group is less cold-hardy and does not survive average winter conditions further north than southern Minnesota in N. America, the northern group is much more cold tolerant[].
This species photosynthesizes by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

An excellent plant to grow for controlling soil erosion because of its fast-growing interlocking root system[]. It is especially valuable in semi-arid regions, such as the Prairie Provinces of Canada and the Great Plains of the United States[]. Growth starts early in spring with a further period of growth in early autumn under favourable moisture conditions[]. However, use of this plant needs to be tempered with the possibility of it invading native habitats and reducing biodiversity[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in situ. The seedbed should be firm and seed should not be covered to more than 6 - 13 mm depth. Seed rates of 3.3 kilos per hectare are used when the plant is sown in a pure stand, though it is more often sown in a mixture with various legumes such as alfalfa, sweet clover, red clover or Lotus corniculatus[].
There are approximately 300,000 seeds per kilo[].