Pastures Benefit from a Timely Prescribed Burn

By Doug Carter, Rankin County Extension Agent

Prescribed burning is a widely used and effective tool for managing pastures. Most pastures are burned in late winter to early spring (late January to early March). Fire is useful on pastures that are overgrown with dead biomass, that has accumulated over the years. Dead biomass can choke out desirable plants and new seedlings, causing stands to thin and create habitats for invasive species.  A well-timed burn can injure or kill undesirable species such as invasive wood plants, or weeds, and reduce soil seed banks of invasive species.

Prescribed burning in the spring is an important part of grass management. Burning a pasture will require having enough dead growth as fuel to support a fire. A hot fire will require at least 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of dry matter per acre that is dead and burns easily to provide enough heat to destroy undesirable species during the burning process. Burning hayfields or pastures can reduce insect and disease pressure the following summer. Reducing the thatch layer increases sunlight penetration to new growth in the spring and helps warm up soil temperatures and plant roots quicker, resulting in earlier green-up in the fields. Also, burning helps release nutrients into the ground that can be used by the new growth.  Timely late winter burns can offer benefits to a hay or livestock producer.

A good indication of a possible needed prescribed burn in your pasture is observed when the field starts to show bunches of grass in the pasture and the cattle graze around them. They try to avoid these areas where the grass is thicker with lower forage quality and then they overgraze other areas. This causes uneven utilization of the pasture and the formation of these grass clumps. It is recommended to burn your pasture only once every two or three years to maximize the health and sustainability of the pasture. Producers that have never burned a pasture might not realize how hot and fast a fire can travel. Before planning a prescribed burn, especially for pastures surrounded by wooded areas, landowners should consult with the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC).  The Mississippi Prescribed Burning Act of 1992 codified prescribed burning as a property owners right. Liability is limited if the landowner follows the guidelines outlined in the law. Principally, prescribed burning should be in the public interest.  Currently, MFC requires a landowner to get a burning permit before burning. If burning conditions are not favorable, MFC will not grant a burning permit.

Source:  Pasture Benefit from a Timely Prescribed Burn, Forage News, volume 13, Mississippi State University Extension, January 2020