Ecology Distribution Management Info Impact Info References and Links Contacts

Management Information Physical: Annual removal of seed heads will significantly decrease the amount of red brome. Reduction in the number of weed seeds will produce available sites for native seeds to germinate and become established. Encouraging germination of native seeds will decrease the reproductive success of red brome. It is not competitive on vegetated sites and established native plants will out-compete the remaining seedlings. Removal of this annual weed, can be accomplished by hoeing the plants. Plants will not reach maturity if the seedlings are uprooted and thus no seed source for the following year will be produced. This repetitive task is time consuming, especially since seeds of red brome germinate from fall through spring. An alternate approach would be to remove all the red brome plants at one time during the spring before the majority of flowering occurs. Red brome plants are shallow rooted and can be easily removed from the soil by hand or with tools. Fire hazard from red brome biomass can be reduced with spring raking of the dead stems. Although this method disturbs the land, the number of plants and the seed source for the following year can be decreased. Grazing and burning may increase the amount of red brome by clearing vegetation and providing adequate sites for the seeds to germinate. Because seeds of annual species have a short dormancy period, they can utilise optimum conditions to germinate and complete their rapid life-cycle during the same period that disturbed perennials are slowly recovering. While burning can increase the invasiveness of red brome, Newman (2001) states that, "If burning comes at a time that will prevent seed production and if native perennial plants are encouraged to grow, burning may help in changing the balance of the plant community", he continues on to state that, "burning increases the abundance of red brome, especially in areas where the land had previously undergone disturbances. A reduction in the amount of available nitrogen in burned plots may have a greater detrimental effect on the native perennial plants than on the introduced annuals; no deleterious effects of these fires were observed on red brome. Chemical: Newman (2001) states that, "due to the annual growth cycle of B. rubens, the most effective chemical control would be from pre-emergence herbicides". Pre-emergent herbicides now available do not kill seeds, but prevent emergence by interfering with root growth at germination or early seedling growth (Cindy Salo, pers.comm., 2004). Impacts of herbicides on native plants may counter the benefits from killing B. rubens. The soil-active herbicide atrazine is effective in reducing the amount of competition by annual brome species, as seen by an increased yield of range forage crops and sagebrush in California and Nevada (Kay 1971, Evans and Young 1977).          Location Specific Management Information Mojave National Preserve (United States (USA)) Brooks and Esque (2002) observe that dominance of alien annual grasses and recurrent fires will only increase due to ther factors like increased urbanization, changes in rainfall pattern and increases in atmosphereic nitrogen and carbondioxide. Land managers are advised to focus on early detection and eradication of this plant.          Management Resources/Links 1. Corbineau, F.; Belaid, D. and Come, D. 1992. Dormancy of Bromus rubens L. seeds in relation to temperature light and oxygen effects. Weed research. 32(4). 1992. 303-310         Summary: Study into the dormancy patterns of B. rubens. 2. Dyer, William E. 1995. Exploiting weed seed dormancy and germination requirements through agronomic practices. Weed Science. 43(3). 1995. 498-503         Summary: Discussion into how weeds can be managed using good cultural practices. 3. Esque, T. C. & C. R. Schwalbe. 2002. Alien annual grasses and their relationship to fire and biotic change in Sonoran Desertscrub. In Tellman, B. (ed.) Invasive Exotic Species in the Sonoran Region. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Studies in Natural History. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona: 165-194.         Summary: An excellent review of the effect of the invasive species on Sonoran Desert plant and animal communities. 4. European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), 2006. Guidelines for the management of invasive alien plants or potentially invasive alien plants which are intended for import or have been intentionally imported. EPPO Bulletin 36 (3), 417-418. 5. Forcella, F. & Gill, A. M. 1986. Manipulation of buried seed reserves by timing of soil tillage in Mediterranean-type pastures. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 26: 71-77         Summary: A research paper that documents effects of soil tillage at different times to control weeds, including the invasive species, in Australia. 6. Fulton, M and Furness, G. 1988. Low volume applications of herbicides sprayed on to soil crop or pasture with a bluff plate sprayer. Plant Protection Quarterly. 3(3). 1988. 108-111         Summary: The use of a bluff plate on a herbicide sprayer allowed it to be more effective in lower volumes. 7. Huxman, Travis E.; Hamerlynck, Erik P.; Jordan, Dean N.; Salsman, Katrina J. and Smith, Stanley D. 1998. The effects of parental CO2 environment on seed quality and subsequent seedling performance in Bromus rubens. Oecologia. 114(2). April, 1998. 202-208         Summary: Experiment to determine whether elevated CO2 levels would have an effect on the growth of Bromus rubens seeds and seedlings.          Results Page: 1