Prepare for rangeland burns
Brian Rees
Saturday, March 21, 2009
It’s the time of year when the temperatures warm, winds blow, and farmers are thinking of planting spring crops. And in the Flint Hills, it’s almost the time of year that managed burning of native range and pastureland is used to improve the grasslands.
Historically, native grasslands developed with fire, drought and grazing. Natural fires ignited by lightning as well as those started by Native Americans occurred throughout the year. Most often, these fires occurred in areas with heavy growth. Heavy grazing by bison, elk and longhorn created short areas that were resistant to burning.
As fires swept through an area, the grazing shifted to the new regrowth on burned areas. Heavily grazed areas regrew and supplied fuel for future fires. Most woody plants were prevented from establishing by recurring fires. Trees and shrubs survived where fire couldn’t reach them, such as along streams and in areas with shallow soils. Today, fire combined with management and grazing, is the key to maintaining grasslands.
Research and experience have shown that fire can be used as a major management practice for native and introduced grasslands, hay meadows and establishing and managing new native grass stands. It can recycle nutrients tied up in old plant growth, stimulate tillering, control many woody and herbaceous plants, improve grazing distribution, reduce wildfire hazards, improve wildlife habitat and increase livestock production in stocker operations.
To gain these benefits, fire must be used under specified conditions and with proper timing. This is termed “prescribed burning.”
In modern grassland management, the role of prescribed burning must be part of a long-term management plan. Management decisions determine how, when and why fire will be used. Prescribed burning influences what vegetation will be present by when it is used, how it is combined with other practices and the intended use of the land. When multiple benefits such as livestock production and wildlife habitat are desired, management compromises will be needed.
Prescribed burning is an excellent management practice for grassland. Properly used, it can be a cost effective method for increasing the productivity of rangeland as well as controlling many undesirable plants. It also can reduce the hazards of wildfires and benefit domestic livestock and wildlife. Safety of people on and around the burn as well as public roads and airports must be considered.
There are guidelines that must be followed for a controlled burn in Lyon County. They are for the safety and benefit of all residents. Violation of resolution 10-98 will be an unclassified misdemeanor. The condensed version of the guidelines:
• wind speed less than 15 mph;
• on-site supervision with some means of extinguishment;
• fire department with jurisdiction shall be notified both before starting the burn and after it is completed;
• the burn will not create an air or roadway traffic hazard; and
• the burning should be supervised until the fire is out.
The extension office does have a copy of the resolution if you would like it for your records.
When is the “right” time to burn? It really depends on what your goals are for the crop you are working with. The desired grasses should just be greening at the time of the burn. This means the time for burning brome or fescue in most cases is already past, and you will damage the health of the grass stand.
Native grasses should have 1/2 to 2 inches of new growth (normally around April 20 in Lyon County, give or take 10 days). By this time, the plant should be ready to grow quickly and recover from the burn, competing quite effectively with any weed species. Late spring burning will normally reduce the low-producing cool season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass and annual brome) while enhancing the amount and growth of big bluestem and Indiangrass.
If your goal is to control or reduce undesirable plants, proper identification and attention to the growth habits of those plants is critical to the success of a prescribed burn. The burn should be timed to the weakest stage of the plant’s life. Annuals, with the growing point above ground, will be damaged or destroyed by a fire during their growth period. Perennials, which often have buds below ground, will readily resprout and normally increase their stem numbers, effectively worsening the problem.
Rangeland burned too early will have high evaporation rates and can have higher rates of erosion. When bare soil with little or no plant or mulch cover is exposed to the action of rain, the surface structure of the soil may be destroyed. This makes it more difficult for water to get below the soil’s surface layer.
The longer the time between the burning date and when desired perennial plants start to green up, the greater the problem. The result is reduced forage growth because of less soil moisture being available for plant growth. Properly timed burns are done when there is good soil moisture and the warm season perennials are starting to green up. This allows them to grow quickly so the bare soil surface will only be exposed for a short period of time. This reduces the erosion hazard, reduces evaporation and allows water to penetrate the soil.
Long-term research at the Konza Prairie Natural Research Area at Kansas State University has shown that late spring burning over many years does not reduce forage yield. In fact, the earlier the burn date, the lower the forage yields. The difference between late spring burning and unburned range is not significant.
Research has also shown there is a 10 to 12 percent advantage for stocker operations in a late spring burn over either an unburned or an early (late March) burn. The advantage is not evident with cow-calf operations, although burning is still effective for weed and brush control and to improve grazing distribution.
For more information on the benefits of native range burning, contact me at the Lyon County Extension Office, 2632 W. Highway 50 in Emporia, or at 341-3220.
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Thank you Mr. Rees! I don't know why the huge rush to burn off native pastures this year. Last weekend my husband was recruited to help a friend. He did it over protests of it's too early. The owner wanted it done last month! We just checked our pasture last week and it's barely starting to green up in spots. It may be ready in a week or two more of warm weather.
March 21, 2009 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporian (anonymous) says...
Depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Historically burns came through 3-5 years and alot of them were fall burns. I know of at least one biologist with a different opinion than Mr. Rees, but his has doesnt factor in cattle and the weight they can produce, just the health of the grassland.
March 21, 2009 at 12:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tell (anonymous) says...
There you go Theresa if second hand smoke is bad for you in a bar then a pasture burning should just kill you instantly.
March 21, 2009 at 1:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
No kidding, Tell. I hope the CAE and crackinsack all invested in gas masks--this could be like their own personal Y2K. LOL
March 21, 2009 at 1:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
josiesbar (anonymous) says...
Hopefully they will just exercise their personal choice to leave.
March 21, 2009 at 2:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
That's a beautiful dream you have there, josies. : )
March 21, 2009 at 4:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
come on now kids, let's play nice.
You know the burnings are necessary and can't be avoided.
You know that peoples rights are not necessary and we can do without them.
"I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW THAT CARACK IS GONE" for the weekend at least.
Actually the article was very informative for me, I enjoyed it.
Steve
March 21, 2009 at 5:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Crack usually only posts on weekdays Steve, probably on her work computer.
March 21, 2009 at 5:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporian (anonymous) says...
Actually I bet we see the end of open burning in KS sometime in the near future. The EPA has been mad about it for years. I hope I am wrong, but I know that it is routine to set off their monitoring stations in Kansas City, and they claim the drift smoke from the Flint Hills causes haze in the Tennesse Valley.
March 21, 2009 at 7:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
How many more cedar trees do you want? Should be a crime to ruin good pasture land. Without more burns we will soon have wild forest fires like California
March 21, 2009 at 10:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
I have been thinking exactly what both emporian and admireed are thinking. I think it highly likely under this administration we will see the practice of pasture burning severely tested. If it were to be banned, what admireed says would happen, we would get years of built up fuel, and more cedar trees, and end up with wildfires that might make California's look calm. Fire and the tallgrass prairie go hand in hand, I hope someone can convince the federal government of that.
March 21, 2009 at 11:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nks (anonymous) says...
The pasture land of the Flint Hills is some of the best, if not THE best in the world. Why do you think the high rollers from all over the country own a good portion of it now?
Burning is necessary to keep this in prime shape.
Brush and trees can destroy great grazing land in a few years if not stunted by fires.
There is nothing prettier than driving south on the turnpike a few weeks after they have been burned and seeing nothing but the rolling green hills.
March 22, 2009 at midnight ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporian (anonymous) says...
Read one of the comments on the article in the KC Star. Its clueless people like that that will push a bill through ending open burning.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaki...
March 22, 2009 at 11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )