Characteristics and Cultivation Techniques of Smooth Brome

Smooth brome, also called awnless brome or awnless grass, is currently the most widely cultivated bromegrass forage in China. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with upright stems and a well-developed root system. Its notable features are: it has short rhizomes and closed leaf sheaths. This is the main characteristic that distinguishes it from many other forage grasses.

Smooth brome is particularly suited to cold, dry climates and is not suited to high-temperature, high-humidity areas; its optimum growth temperature is 14-25°C. Its cold resistance is extremely strong; it can still grow normally in places where winter temperatures drop to -30°C, and under snow cover in Northeast China it can withstand low temperatures of -48°C. It grows best in well-drained, fertile loam or clay loam areas, can tolerate slightly saline-alkaline and acidic soils, and has weak resistance to flooding. Smooth brome has strong adaptability and is an important cultivated forage grass in arid and cold regions, with broad adaptability in Northeast China, Northwest China and North China.

Smooth brome is a mesoxerophytic plant with a very long lifespan; with proper management, its utilization period can reach more than 20 years. However, because smooth brome has relatively well-developed underground rhizomes, as the years of growth increase, the rhizomes spread and the sod becomes compacted, making the soil surface firm and impeding water penetration and aeration, which affects yield. Therefore, smooth brome grassland that has been used for 6-7 years should be harrowed and loosened to maintain yield. Smooth brome is rich in nutritional value and is favored by all kinds of livestock. Under conditions of better soil fertility in northern China, smooth brome can produce 3000-4500 kg of fresh grass per mu and can be cut 2-3 times.