Downy brome

Downy brome and cheat are two weed species often misidentified. Yet, categorizing them incorrectly can result in the difference between suppression and control.

Despite similarities, downy brome and cheat do have distinct differences. For starters, downy brome is more common than cheat in winter wheat fields. According scientists, cheat always heads out before the wheat. So identifying weed species in the field is critical to determine the best weed management program. Growers who have downy brome, the more likely of the two, will want to consider a fall herbicide application for control versus a spring application that only suppresses the species, says Abe Smith, market development specialist, Dow AgroSciences...tape

    

 Downy Brome is the more prevalent and threatening species in the Southern Plains region. If downy brome is in fields, Smith recommends a fall application of PowerFlex® HL herbicide for control. When applied in spring, PowerFlex HL suppresses downy brome. Smith says both downy brome and cheat can decrease yield significantly depending on the population.

 

These cheat and downy brome families of grass tend to cause a lot of seed spreading on the ground. This causes dense populations of weeds that can dominate and outcompete the crop specifically for moisture, Smith says. Yield potential can be significantly affected if the weeds outcompete the wheat crop.