One of the most useful perennials in agriculture is awnless brome, a grass that is indispensable as livestock feed, and also enriches the soil with nitrogen, producing it from carbon dioxide consumed by the plant from the air.
Description
Awnless bonfire is a top rhizome grass, the height of which can reach one and a half meters. The stem is smooth, densely leafy with a large number of elongated shoots. The leaves are flat, 4 to 10 mm wide, dark green in color. In cold weather, their color turns pale. The inflorescence is in the form of a panicle, the length of which is 15-20 cm, it consists of large spikelets ranging in size from 12 to 30 mm. The lower lemma of purple color has a wide membranous edge. The top of the grain and the ovary are covered with dense pubescence. The flowering period is short, depending on the weather and lasts a maximum of 2 weeks. Watching this grass in windy weather, you can see how, when tilted in different directions, the panicles shine with red light, which is very similar to a flame.
The root system of the plant is quite powerful and reaches two meters in depth. Thanks to thisawnless rhizome is able to endure any drought, giving high hay yields even in regions where rainfall is minimal. Also resistant to prolonged flooding.
Distribution locations
Most often this plant can be found in Europe, Asia Minor and North Asia. In Russia, it grows almost everywhere, with the exception of the Arctic and some regions of the Far East. It mainly grows along the banks of rivers, ponds, in meadows and sparse forests, forming pure thickets. The neighborhood of such plants as meadow tea, sverbiga orientalis, bluegrass and some other representatives of cereals does not tolerate the fire well. Sowing in grass mixtures with alfalfa has a positive effect on its growth.
Growing conditions
Boneless bonfire - the grass is quite unpretentious. Grows in well-lit places. Soil prefers nutrient-rich, well-drained soils. Grows best on loam, sandy loam and drained peat bogs. Saline soils are unsuitable. On them, an awnless fire is quickly replaced by wheatgrass. The water permeability of the soil is of great importance for this plant; it grows rather poorly on dense clays. The proximity of groundwater also negatively affects the growth of grass. In favorable conditions, the period of economic use can be up to 20 years, in dry places it is very short and rarely exceeds 6 years.
Although awnless bonfire is a drought-resistant grass, when the air temperature is above 38 ⁰С, it burns out significantly. However, dry winds are carried by thisplant much better than other cereals. At the beginning of growth, a bonfire can be oppressed by tall crops, but gradually, as it grows, it begins to displace many plants by itself, leading a successful weed control.
Reproduction
Renews the population of this culture with the help of seeds and vegetatively. The first option in vivo has the least value. Despite the fact that grass seeds are formed in a fairly large amount (up to 18 thousand per 1 m²), only a small part of them germinate, and only a few reach the adult state.
The possibility of vegetative propagation occurs only in the fourth year of a plant's life. The space occupied by the growing root system gradually increases. From fresh shoots formed by young roots, new plants are formed. Thanks to this method of propagation, the awnless bonfire is a grass that is very hardy and adapted to various adverse conditions.
Planting and care
On agricultural land, this plant is sown after sunflower, corn, potatoes. This is best done in the fall, although it can be sown in the spring and summer. With continuous sowing in rows, the seeding rate is up to 7 million seeds (about 25 kg per 1 hectare). On fertile soil, the amount can be slightly reduced to 5 million, and on unfavorable soil, it can be increased by 1-2 million.
Grass seeds are very light and difficult to sow. This task is facilitated by the addition of granularsuperphosphate at the rate of 50 kg per 1 hectare. Seeding depth - from 4 to 5 cm. After sowing, the moistened soil is lightly rolled.
Great value for the harvest is not only how to sow the grass, but also how well it is provided with top dressing. To enhance the growth of the vegetative mass, nitrogen fertilizers are of great help, which are applied annually, in the spring, at 50 kg per hectare.
In the first year of a plant's life, weed control is required. They are mowed 2 or 3 times during the summer. After 2 years, you can work with heavy harrows, and on the fourth - with a disc cultivator.
Use
Boneless bonfire is a valuable pasture and hay plant that can produce very high yields. Even in dry and unfavorable areas, it can be up to 50 centners per hectare. Both green grass and hay containing nitrogen-free extractive substances up to 47%, fiber - 21%, protein - 19%, protein - 16%, 9% ash and 3% fat have a very high nutritional value. This plant is eaten by animals with pleasure. It is used both as fodder for livestock, and to fix the soil in areas prone to washout, to fix the slopes of ravines.
Awnless fire is a good precursor for crops, capable of restoring the fertile soil layer. It copes well with weeds, suppressing them in the second year of its life.
It is recommended to use an awnless fire in a pasture, subject to certain techniques. Crops bleedit is necessary only not earlier than the age of three, when the turf is dense enough. Up to three cycles are carried out, while the above-ground part is alienated at least 6 cm. Grazing on pastures occupied by this crop is not allowed in autumn. This can result in nutrients not being stored in time, resulting in no sprouts, resulting in reduced yields of both fodder and seeds the following year.
Due to the large number of useful properties, awnless fire is very widely used in agriculture. The price of the seeds of this plant is low and averages 110–120 rubles per 1 kg.
