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| ## Cheatgrass {#cheatgrass .Title-Header}                             |
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| *Bromus tectorum* L.                                                  |
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| Plant Symbol = BRTE                                                   |
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Contributed By: USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center; Idaho NRCS State
Office; and University of California, Department of Botany; partial
funding from the USGS and the US National Biological Information
Infrastructure

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height="3.6465277777777776in"}

# Caution: This plant is highly invasive.

# 

# Alternate Names

Downy brome, downy bromegrass, downy chess, early chess, slender chess,
drooping chess, junegrass, and bronco-grass

# Uses

*Erosion Control:* due to being a winter annual species with a shallow
root system, cheatgrass is considered a poor erosion control plant
particularly during periods of extended drought.

*Invasive to Noxious Traits*: Cheatgrass or downy brome is native to the
Mediterranean region. In Europe, its original habitat was the decaying
straw of thatched roofs. '*Tectum'* is Latin for roof, hence the name
*Bromus tectorum*, 'brome of the roofs'.

Introduced into the United States in packing materials, ship ballast and
likely as a contaminant of crop seed, cheatgrass was first found in the
United States near Denver, Colorado, in the late 1800s (Whitson et al.
1991). In the late 1800's and early 1900's, it spread explosively in the
ready-made seed-beds prepared by the trampling livestock hooves of
overstocked rangelands. Disturbance associated with homesteading and
cultivation of winter wheat also accelerated its spread and
establishment. By the 1930's, cheatgrass was becoming the dominant grass
over vast areas of the Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain West
regions and the "worst" western range weed.

Cheatgrass has developed into a severe weed in several agricultural
systems throughout North America, particularly western pastureland,
rangeland, and winter wheat fields. It is now estimated to infest more
than 41 million hectares (101 million acres) in western states (Mack
1981).

Winter wheat growers in the western United States proclaim it as their
worst weed problem. In the Palouse winter wheat country of the Pacific
Northwest, at high density, it reduces wheat yields by an average of 27%
(FICMNEW, 1997). It can reduce seed yield of winter rye as much as 33%.
In winter wheat and alfalfa fields, it is especially troublesome,
because of its ability to reproduce prior to crop and hay harvesting
(Peepers 1984). It is an aggressive invader of sagebrush,
pinyon-juniper, mountain brush and other shrub communities, where it
often completely out-competes native grasses and forbs. Approximately
five million hectares of overgrazed rangeland in Idaho and Utah are
covered by almost pure stands of cheatgrass (FICMNEW 1997). Serious
problems with downy brome have been reported in the New England nursery
trade and in orchards (Morrow & Stahlman 1984).

Stands of cheatgrass on western rangeland are highly flammable in late
spring through early fall after maturation, which usually occurs long
before native species mature and enter summer and autumn dormancy.
Consequently, its presence, in altering the timing and occurrence of
range and forest fires, negatively impacts other species.

*Livestock:* Although cheatgrass provides good quality forage early in
the season, the plants mature quickly; initially turning reddish before
completely curing to a tan- buff color. Forage yields fluctuate widely
with changes in annual precipitation. The best forage quality is in late
winter to mid spring and it must be grazed early in the growing season.
Moreover, under drought situations the presence of cheatgrass causes
rapid depletion of early season soil moisture, thus serving to
out-compete, retard or prevent the establishment of perennial grasses
(Welsh 1981).

Mature plants are unpalatable, the characteristic drooping seed heads
becoming brittle as the plant dries, shattering upon disturbance and
disseminating the sharp-tipped seeds with their barbed awns. These
sharp-tipped seeds work their way into the eyes, nostrils, mouths, and
intestines of grazing animals. Put succinctly by Aldo Leopold (1949), he
writes "to appreciate the predicament of a cow trying to eat mature
cheat, try walking through it in low shoes. All field workers in cheat
country wear high boots." Leopold was perhaps one of the first authors
to bring to the general public an awareness of the impact of cheatgrass
in the west. In his essay "Cheat Takes Over," he addresses the
ecological implications of its establishment with clarity and humor. His
list of negative impacts and noxious characteristics are:

-   replacement of rich and useful native bunchgrasses and wheatgrasses
    with the inferior cheat;

-   prickly awns that, when mature, cause cheat-sores in the mouths of
    cows and sheep;

-   extreme flammability of cheat-covered lands that results in
    burn-back of winter forage such as sagebrush, bitterbrush, and
    perennial grasses, and destruction of winter cover for wildlife;

-   degradation of hay following invasion of alfalfa fields; and

-   blockading of newly-hatched ducklings from making the vital trek
    from upland nest to lowland water.

*Vectors*: Overgrazing and misuse of western rangelands has resulted in
trampling of native bunchgrasses and destruction of the soil surface and
sometimes cryptogam layer, resulting in an increase in evaporation of
soil moisture and reduction of bunchgrass population. Such disturbance
favors the invasion of cheatgrass, whose seedlings become established
during fall through late winter before the principal germination and
growth period of native taxa. Homesteading and cultivation of winter
wheat, beginning with the railroad boom of the 1880s, disturbed the land
even further, and accelerated the introduction and establishment of
cheatgrass.

Cultivation of land for winter wheat prepares a seedbed. The lack of the
use of selective herbicides for the control of cheatgrass has aided its
increase and spread.

The barbed awns of the florets penetrate or adhere readily to fur or
clothing. When vehicles are driven across cheatgrass- infested land,
seeds become lodged in clothing, tire treads, in cracks and crevices,
and in mud of tires and bumpers, to be dislodged perhaps hundreds of
miles distant. Since its introduction, cheatgrass has been spread far
and wide by livestock, by trains and other vehicles, and by wildlife and
livestock. Seeds, maturing before harvest of alfalfa and winter wheat,
contaminate hay and grain.

*Wildlife:* Deer and elk make some use of cheatgrass in late winter to
early spring while it is green and prior to other grasses and forbs
beginning growth. It seems to be very important food, cover and nesting
habitat for Hungarian partridge and chukar. Canada geese graze
cheatgrass heavily in fall, winter and early spring.

# Status

Consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status, such as, state noxious
status.

# Description

*General*: Grass Family (Poaceae). Cheatgrass is an annual or winter
annual, softly downy to short-hairy throughout, and generally 10- 60cm
(4- 24 in) tall.

Stems are solitary or in a few-stemmed tuft. Ligules are short (usually
1- 2 mm long), membranous, and fringed at the top; auricles are lacking.
Leaf blades are up to 20 cm (8 in) long, flat, relatively narrow,
usually 2- 5 mm wide (1/8- 3/16 in), and generally long-ciliate near the
base.

The roots are fibrous and usually quite shallow; the plants do not root
at the nodes. The inflorescence is a soft and drooping, much-branched,
open panicle, usually becoming a dull red- purple color as it matures to
a tan- buff color when fully cured. Spikelets are about 1.5- 2.0 cm
(0.6- 0.8 in) long with 3- 6 florets. Florets are 12- 19 mm (1/2- 3/4
in) long, tapering to sharp points. The glumes are shorter than the
florets, the first 1-veined and the second 3-veined. Lemmas are sharply
tipped, glabrous to densely hairy, more-or-less rounded on the back, and
with a nearly straight awn that is 7- 18 mm (3/8- 5/8 in) long.
Flowering occurs from April to mid June depending on climate and
location.

Reproduction is by seed. Germination occurs in fall through winter to
early spring, depending on the climate and rainfall (Hickman 1993;
Gleason & Cronquist 1991; Cronquist et al. 1977; Muenscher 1955; Uva et
al. 1997).

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# Adaptation

# Cheatgrass grows in rainfall areas receiving 6- 22 inches or more. It does particularly well under conditions where rainfall occurs in fall, winter and early spring. During periods of multiple year drought, it may almost disappear from the plant community only to return in very lush stands as moisture conditions improve.

Cheatgrass prefers well drained soils of any soil texture. It is not
well adapted to saline or sodic soil conditions or soils that are too
wet.

Cheatgrass can be found at almost any elevation, but it does
particularly well at elevations ranging from 500- 6,000 feet.

# 

# Distribution

Cheatgrass is one of the most widespread introduced annual grasses in
the North America, occurring in all 50 states as well as in most of the
Canadian provinces and also in parts of Mexico. It is most common where
annual rainfall ranges from 15-55 cm (6- 22 in) and autumn rainfall
ranges from 5-12 cm (2- 6 in) (Peepers 1984). It is a weed of roadsides,
cropland, hayland, pastureland, rangeland and waste places, usually
occurring on dry, sometimes weakly alkaline, clayey to loamy to sandy or
gravelly soils. Cheatgrass is especially common in the western states
including the Columbia Basin, Snake River Basin and the Great Basin
(Morrow & Stahlman 1984). Uncommon or sporadic in the southeastern part
of the United States, it is abundant over large areas of sagebrush plant
communities, where whole landscapes are lush green, turning red-
purplish by the developing inflorescences, then a tan- straw- buff color
as the plants mature and cure.

For current distribution, consult the Plant Profile page for this
species on the PLANTS Web site.

**Establishment**

This species is not recommended for seeding.

# Control

Contact your local extension specialist or county weed specialist for
assistance on recommendations for cheatgrass control in your area.
Tillage and chemicals are the most common control methods. When using
chemicals, it is important to always read and follow label and safety
instructions. Trade names and control measures that appear in this
document are only to provide specific information. USDA, NRCS does not
guarantee or warranty the products and control methods named, and other
products may be equally effective.

*Environmental and Mechanical*: Environmental practices, which minimize
the further spread of cheatgrass, are suggested by knowledge of the
circumstances, which have accompanied its spread. Vehicles, clothing,
camp gear, and pets should be cleaned of adhering seed after driving,
camping, and walking in cheatgrass-infested areas. Excessive roadside
and rangeland disturbance should be avoided. In cultivated fields,
mowing cheatgrass before seeds are formed and clean cultivation assist
in control. Infested meadows and pastures can be harrowed while
seedlings are small (Muenscher 1955). In cropland and hayland, the best
control is often achieved by fallowing or planting continuous spring
crops for two or more years (Kennedy et al. 1989).

*Biological*: Soil bacteria which cause crown rot may be a potential
biological control for cheatgrass in the arid environment of western
North America (Grey et al. 1995). The crown rot causing soil bacteria
has been found to produce a toxin that is specific for cheatgrass and
related species. Studies have shown that these bacteria can be used to
suppress the growth of cheatgrass, thus resulting in substantial
increases in winter wheat yields (Kennedy et al. 1989).

Applications of a strain (D7) of *Rhizobacterium* have been shown to
selectively suppress cheatgrass in winter wheat test plots by means of a
phytotoxin produced by the bacteria (Tranel et al. 1993), apparently by
inhibition of root elongation.

*Chemical*: Non-selective herbicides are presently the primary chemical
available for control of cheatgrass. Since non-selective herbicides can
kill all vegetation they contact, not just the problem weed, care must
be taken that they do not contact desirable plants.

The chemical fluazifop has been shown to prevent seed formation in
cheatgrass, most successfully when applied early in the reproductive
phase (Richardson et al. 1987. Metribuzin or Metribuzin plus terbutryn,
fall-applied, have succeeded in reducing cheatgrass infestations and
increasing wheat yields. The combination results in better control.
Sulfonylurea herbicides have been shown to increase winter wheat yields
when used for cheatgrass control.

Other herbicides that have been recommended for cheatgrass management
include glyphosate, bromacil, imidazolinone and tebuthiuron.

Formulations containing glyphosate are marketed as JURY, RATTLER,
ROUNDUP, and RODEO. Those containing bromacil are sold as HYVAR X and
HYVAR X-L. Those containing imidazolinone are sold as Plateau.
Tebuthiuron is sold as SPIKE 80W.

Glyphosate controls cheatgrass by inhibition of biosynthesis of amino
acids. It is applied to above ground parts, since the active ingredient
is adsorbed and made inactive by soil particles. Following absorption,
glyphosate is translocated to underground structures and should thus be
applied during active growth. Growth is inhibited soon after
application, and foliar chlorosis and necrosis are seen within 10-20
days. Contact with formulations of glyphosate should be avoided.
**Ingestion requires emergency medical attention**.

Bromacil inhibits photosynthesis. It is readily absorbed through the
root system and is then translocated to foliage. It is applied as a
spray just before or during the period of active growth, preferably when
rain can be expected for soil activation. Application near desirable
plants or grazing of cattle in treated areas should be avoided. After
the herbicide has been carried into the root zone by rain, leaf
chlorosis and defoliation occur within a week. Contact with bromacil may
irritate eyes, nose, throat, and skin. In case of contact, flush eyes
copiously with water and wash skin with soap and water. **Get medical
attention if irritation persists**.

Tebuthiuron is a pre- and post-emergence herbicide used for total
control of vegetation. A small amount of the herbicide in contact with
roots of desirable plants may kill them. It produces browning of
vegetation within one week, which suggests that it acts through
photosynthesis inhibition. It is absorbed principally through the roots,
and is readily translocated. For best results it should be applied
before spring growth begins. At least one inch of rainfall is needed to
activate the herbicide and place it in the seed germination zone, so it
should be applied before the predominant portion of annual rainfall
occurs. It may not be fully effective on clay soils or those high in
organic matter. Tebuthiuron should not contact skin, clothing, or eyes
(causes eye irritation). If it gets on skin or in eyes, wash with plenty
of water; if swallowed, or if breathing difficulty develops from
inhalation, get emergency medical attention.

Imidazolinone, sold as Plateau is a pre- and post-emergence herbicide
used for partial to total control of vegetation. Plateau herbicide may
be used for control of brome grass species and tall fescue. It can be
used for the release of most other wheatgrasses, native grasses,
wildflowers and certain legumes. It is readily absorbed through leaves,
stems, and roots and is translocated rapidly throughout the plant, with
accumulation in the meristematic regions. Treated plants stop growing
soon after spray application. Adequate soil moisture is important for
optimum herbicide activity. When adequate soil moisture is present, it
will provide residual control of susceptible germinating weeds. Activity
on established weeds will depend on the weed species and rooting depth.
Post emergence application is the method of choice in most situations,
particularly for perennial species. It may be applied in the dormant or
growing season for weed control. Tolerance of desirable grass species to
Plateau herbicide may be reduced when grasses are stressed due to insect
damage, disease, environmental conditions, shade, poorly drained soils
or other causes. It should not be applied to newly seeded or sprigged
grass stands, unless stated in label.

# References

Abrams, L. 1923. *An illustrated flora of the Pacific States*. Vol. 1.
Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.

Albee, B.J., L.M. Shultz, & S. Goodrich 1988. *Atlas of the vascular
plants of Utah*. Utah Museum of Natural History Occasional Publication
No. 7.

Blackshaw, R. E. 1991. *Control of downy brome (Bromus tectorum) in
conservation fallow systems*. 1991 Weed Tech. 5:557-562.

Cronquist, A., A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, J. L. Reveal, & P. K.
Holmgren 1977. *Intermountain flora*. Vol. 6. Columbia University Press,
New York, New York.

FICMNEW (Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and
Exotic Weeds) 1997. *Invasive plants -- changing the landscape of
America*. Washington, D.C.

Gleason, H. A., & A. Cronquist 1991. *Manual of vascular plants of
northeastern United States and adjacent Canada*. The New York Botanical
Garden, Bronx, New York.

Gray, W. E., P.C. Quinby Jr., D.E. Mathre, & J. A. Youngll 1995. Weed
Tech 9:362-365.

Hickman, J.C. (ed.) 1993. *The Jepson manual. Higher plants of
California*. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.

Hitchcock, A. S. 1950. *Manual of the grasses of the United States*.
USDA, Washington, DC.

Kennedy, A. C., F. L. Young, & L. F. Elliot 1989. Proceedings Western
Society Weed Science 42:86.

Leopold, A. 1949. *A Sand County Almanac, and sketches here and there*.
Oxford Univ.

Press, New York, New York.

Mack, R. 1981. *Invasion of Bromus tectorum L. into western North
America; an ecological chronical*. Agro-ecosystems 7:145-165.

Morrow, L. A. & P. W. Stahlman 1984. *The history and distribution of
downy brome (Bromus*

*tectorum) in North America*. North America Weed Science 32: supplement.

Muenscher, W.C. 1955. *Weeds*. The Macmillan Co., New York, New York.

Peeper, T. F. 1984. Chemical and biological control of downy brome.
North American Weed Science 32.

Richardson, J. M., D. R. Gealy, & L. A. Morrow 1987. Weed Science 35:
277-281.

USDA, NRCS 2000. *The PLANTS database*. Version: 000412.
\<http://plants.usda.gov\>. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana.

Uva, R.H., J.C. Neal, & J.M. DiTomaso 1997. *Weeds of the northeast*.
Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 397 pp.

Welsh, S. L., et al. 1987. *A Utah flora*. Great Basin Naturalist
Memoirs No. 9. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.

Whitson, T.D. (ed.) 1991. *Weeds of the west*. Western Society of Weed
Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming.

# Prepared By

#### *Mark Skinner,* USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

*Daniel G. Ogle,* Plant Materials Specialist, USDA, NRCS, Boise, Idaho

*Loren St. John*, Manager, USDA, NRCS, Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen,
Idaho

*James Briggs*, Regional Plant Materials Specialist, USDA, NRCS,
Portland, Oregon

#### *Elizabeth Neese*

University of California, Botany Department, Berkeley, California
(deceased)

# Species Coordinator

#### *Mark Skinner*

USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Edited: 10feb03ahv; 25may06jsp; 14oct08dgo; 01oct08lsj; 01oct08jb

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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