Animal Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Prescribed-Fire Timing On Stocker Cattle Performance, Forage Biomass Accumulation, And Native Plant Species Composition, Z. M. Duncan, A. J. Tajchman, J. Lemmon, W. R. Hollenbeck, D. A. Blasi, K. C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this experiment was to document the effects of prescribed-fire timing on stocker cattle performance, forage biomass accumulation, soil cover, and plant species composition in the Kansas Flint Hills.

Study Description:A total of 1,416 yearling stocker cattle were assigned to one of three prescribed-burn treatments: spring (April 9 ± 5.1 days), summer (August 23 ± 4.9 days), or fall (September 29 ± 8.7 days) over a 4-year period. Calves were grazed from May to August for 90 days. Individual body weights were recorded at the beginning and end of the grazing season. Native plant composition and …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire Timing On Stocker Cattle Performance And Native Plant Composition: Year 3 Of 6, Z. M. Duncan, A. J. Tajchman, M. P. Ramirez, J. Lemmon, K. J. Suhr, W. R. Hollenbeck, D. A. Blasi, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this experiment was to document the effects of prescribed-fire timing on stocker cattle performance, soil cover, and plant species composition over a six-year period.

Study Description:Yearling stocker cattle were assigned to one of three prescribed-burn treatments: spring (April 9 ± 5.1 days), summer (August 23 ± 4.9 days), or fall (September 29 ± 8.7 days). Calves were grazed from May to August for 90 days. Individual body weights (BW) were recorded at the beginning and end of the grazing season to determine total BW gains and average daily gains. Native plant composition and soil cover …

Yearling Cattle Grazing Pastures Burned During Summer Perform Similarly To Cattle Grazing Pastures Burned In Early Spring: Year 2 Of 6, Z. M. Duncan, A. J. Tajchman, M. P. Ramirez, J. Lemmon, W. R. Hollenbeck, D. A. Blasi, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective was to evaluate the impact of prescribed fire timing on grazing performance of yearling beef cattle in the Kansas Flint Hills.

Study Description:This study was conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. Yearling stocker cattle were assigned randomly to one of three prescribed-burn treatments: spring (April 7 ± 2.1 days), summer (August 21 ± 5.7 days), or fall (October 2 ± 9.9 days) and grazed from May to August of 2019 and 2020. Individual body weights were recorded at the beginning and end of the grazing season to determine total body weight gain and …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire Timing On Native Plant Composition, Forage Biomass Accumulation, And Root Carbohydrate Reserves In The Kansas Flint Hills: Year 2 Of 6, Z. M. Duncan, A. J. Tajchman, M. P. Ramirez, J. Lemmon, W. R. Hollenbeck, D. A. Blasi, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective was to document the effects of prescribed fire timing on native plant composition, forage biomass, and root carbohydrate concentrations in key native tallgrass species in the Kansas Flint Hills.

Study Description:This experiment was conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. Eighteen pastures were grouped by watershed and assigned to one of three prescribed-burn treatments: spring (April 7 ± 2.1 days), summer (August 21 ± 5.7 days), or fall (October 2 ± 9.9 days). Botanical composition, forage biomass, and root carbohydrate concentrations in big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass, and purple prairie clover were evaluated …

Comprehensive Control Of Sericea Lespedeza With Four Consecutive Years Of Prescribed Fire During Summer, J. A. Alexander, W. H. Fick, J. Lemmon, G. A. Gatson, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of annual prescribed burning applied during the growing season on vigor of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) infesting native tallgrass range.

Study Description:We burned nine fire-management units (14 ± 6 acres) at one of three prescribed-burning times: early spring (April 1), mid-summer (August 1), or late summer (September 1). Effects on sericea lespedeza were evaluated annually on July 10, October 10, and November 1.

The Bottom Line:Compared to traditional spring, dormant-season burning, burning during the summer months over four consecutive years resulted in …

Sericea Lespedeza Control From Growing-Season Prescribed Burning Causes No Collateral Damage To Non-Target Species, J. A. Alexander, W. H. Fick, J. Lemmon, G. A. Gatson, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 4 consecutive years of prescribed fire applied to native tallgrass range in either April, August, or September on forage biomass production, soil cover, and basal plant cover.

Study Description:Nine fire-management units (14 ± 6 acres) were burned at 1 of 3 prescribed times: early spring (April 1), mid-summer (August 1), or late summer (September 1). Plant species composition and soil cover were assessed annually each July using a modified step-point technique.

The Bottom Line:Burning during the summer for 4 consecutive years resulted in …

Sericea Lespedeza Control Strategies Differ In Their Impacts On Overall Range Health And Native Plant Species Composition, G. A. Gatson, W. H. Fick, W. W. Hsu, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) control strategies of late summer prescribed burning and fall her­bicide application on soil cover, native plant populations, and biological diversity.

Study Description:We established 16 individual units within an 80-acre native tallgrass pasture. Each unit was assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: control, spray only, burn only, or burn-plus-spray. Burn only and burn-plus-spray units were burned in early September. Spray only and burn-plus-spray units were sprayed with metsulfuron methyl (Escort XP, DuPont, Wilmington, DE) in late September. The change in …

Naive Yearling Steers Consume Little Sericea Lespedeza In The Kansas Flint Hills, C. A. Sowers, J. D. Wolf, W. H. Fick, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to characterize diets selected by steers grazing sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)-infested native tallgrass pastures.

Study Description:The experiment was conducted on eight native tallgrass pastures located in Woodson County, KS, at the Kansas State University Bessner Range Research Unit during the 2015 and 2016 growing season. Pastures were burned annually in April and stocked with yearling steers (n = 281/year; initial body weight = 582 ± 75 lb) at a relatively high stocking rate (2.7 acres/steer) from April 15 to July 15. Basal frequency of sericea lespedeza was 2.9 …

Grazing Diets Of Mature Ewes In The Flint Hills Contain A Significant Proportion Of Sericea Lespedeza, C. A. Sowers, J. D. Wolf, W. H. Fick, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to characterize diets selected by sheep grazing sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) infested native tallgrass pastures and contrast these diets to those of cattle grazing the same range earlier in the grazing season. Multi-species grazing may provide an additional tool to aid landholders in the control of sericea lespedeza compared to cattle grazing only.

Study Description:The study was conducted on 8 native tallgrass pastures grazed by more than 800 mature ewes. Pastures were infested with sericea lespedeza (basal frequency = 2.9 ± 2.43%) and stocked with yearling steers at a relatively …

Late Summer Prescribed Fire And Fall Herbicide Application Show Strong Suppressive Effects On Sericea Lespedeza Frequency And Vigor, G. A. Gatson, W. H. Fick, W. W. Hsu, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a one-time application of late summer prescribed fire followed by fall herbicide application for substantially reducing sericea lespedeza frequency and vigor.

Study Description:A single 80-acre native tallgrass pasture was divided into 16 units. Each of these units was either burned in early September (burn only), sprayed with Escort XP (DuPont, Wilmington, DE) in late September (spray only), burned in early September and subsequently sprayed in late September (burn + spray), or neither burned nor sprayed (control). Sericea lespedeza frequency and vigor was measured shortly before …

Effects Of Growing-Season Prescribed Burning On Vigor Of Sericea Lespedeza In The Kansas Flint Hills: I. Suppression Of Seed Production And Canopy Dominance, J. A. Alexander, W. H. Fick, J. Lemmon, G. A. Gatson, G. W. Preedy, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) is a highly fecund noxious weed in Kansas and surrounding states. Individual plants are capable of producing greater than 1,000 seeds annually. Vigorous seed production allows sericea lespedeza to rapidly infiltrate native and cultivated grasslands; seed can be transported great distances via farm machinery and the alimentary canal of wild and domestic herbivores. In Kansas alone, sericea lespedeza infests more than 700 square miles of pasture, primarily in the Flint Hills region. The resulting damage to native habitats for wildlife and pasture quality for domestic herbivores has been devastating.
The predominant grazing management practice …

Effects Of Growing-Season Prescribed Burning On Vigor Of Sericea Lespedeza In The Kansas Flint Hills: Ii. Plant-Species Composition, J. A. Alexander, W. H. Fick, J. Lemmon, G. A. Gatson, G. W. Preedy, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Fire has, for centuries, been a key force for sustainability of native ecosystems in the Kansas Flint Hills. Prior to the arrival of European settlers, prescribed and wild fires occurred at less than 3-year intervals in the tallgrass prairie region. As a result, native tallgrass plant communities adapted to fire at regular intervals and plant-species composition became stable on a geologic time scale.
Currently, prescribed fire is used in the Kansas Flint Hills as a treatment for control of woody-stemmed invasive species such as eastern red cedar, honey locust, and roughleaf dogwood. These fires are generally applied in March and …