Bromes: Identification, Growth & Control Methods of Sterile / Barren bromes

Weed profile of Sterile, or Barren Brome (Anisantha sterilis). Discover growth habits, herbicide resistance and impact in UK cereal production.

Sterile, or Barren brome is predominantly a problem in winter cereals. It robs crop yield and causes lodging where it’s left uncontrolled.

It is an annual grass 20-100 cm tall, upright until anthesis then disappearing below the crop as the weed matures.

Sterile/Barren brome is becoming increasingly common in the UK due to shallow and no till cultivations.

Leaves	Finely pointed, covered in short hairs
Auricles	None
Ligules	Blunt and serrated, up to 6mm
Seeds produced per plant	Up to 200 per plant
Seed shed	July to October
Germination period	August to October (98%)
Germination depth	Up to 5cm
Primary dormancy	Generally none, but varies between populations
Secondary dormancy	Leaving seed on the surface exposes them to light and dry conditions enforcing dormancy on a small proportion of seeds
Seed longevity	1 - 2 years
Factor promoting germination	dark
Rate of decline with cultivations	90% per year
Geographical location	Found throughout England, Wales and the arable areas of Scotland, up to altitudes of 350m Sterile/Barren brome’s natural habitat is field margins and headlands.
Soil Type	All soil types
Rotation	Population increase is favoured by cereal monoculture, early autumn cereal sowing, no-till cultivations and a lack of break crops.
Impact	Sterile/Barren brome is very competitive and 10 plants m² will cause a yield loss of 8% in winter cereals. Will also cause the crop to lodge at high populations.
Herbicide resistance	None known in UK (Suspected but not proven)