Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 June 2017
As an agrestal weed, downy brome (Bromus tectorum L. # BROTE) is most troublesome in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. # TRIAE) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. # MEDSA) because of the ability of downy brome to reproduce prior to crop harvesting (70, 76). Geographically, downy brome is most common in the western half of the United States where annual rainfall totals 15 to 55 cm and autumn rainfall ranges from 5 to 12 cm (10, 11, 86, 98). In contrast, cheat (Bromus secalinus L. # BROSE) is more common in the eastern portion of the hard red winter wheat producing regions and in the more humid soft red winter wheat region. Behrendt and Hanf (12) state that cheat has been more common on acid sandy or loamy soils while downy brome commonly occurs on dry, mostly alkaline, sandy to loamy soils. Since soils are frequently alkaline in the relatively dry climate of the western regions (61), it is not clear exactly what role pH plays in affecting geographical distribution of the various Bromus spp. Recent serious problems with downy brome in the New England nursery industry (69) and orchards (57) indicate that downy brome could thrive under a relatively wide range of edaphic and climatic conditions. However, as a weed problem in wheat, the common prevalent conditions of low annual precipitation and alkaline soils should not go unnoticed in the development of chemical weed control practices.
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