A Provisional Model for Smooth Brome Management in Degraded Tallgrass Prairies

The invasion of smooth brome, a Eurasian grass that is planted for forage in the prairie states, in warm season pastures is attributed to overgrazing or the absence of fire. A model for management of smooth brome is developed, following a review of morphological development and carbohydrate reserves. The burn-based model requires that the following characteristics be assessed sequentially: the relative composition of native perennial tall grasses, the elongation of tillers, and the heading of the tillers. Based on the results, the managerial options include not burning, delaying burning until tiller elongation is complete, delaying burning until the next season, or burn immediately.