Effects of Burning on Soil Temperature and Yield of Coastal Bermudagrass
1974
Monson, Warren G. | Burton, Glenn W. | Williams, E Jay | Butler, James L.
Early spring burning of ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) sod is a recommended practice for control of the 2-lined spittlebug (Prosapia bicincta (Say) plant diseases, and winter weeds. This study was designed to determine effects of time of burning on dry matter yield, soil temperature, and forage quality. Coastal bermudagrass sod was burned at 2-week intervals between mid-February and late March for 6 years. When sod was burned about March 1, the average dry-matter yield of Coastal bermudagrass was increased by 1,000 kg/ha over that of the unburned check plots. Digestibility and crude protein content of the grass were not affected by burning. Burning, regardless of date, resulted in increased soil temperature at 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0-cm depths. Dry-matter yields were related to soil temperatures, but the relationship appears to be subject to the modifying influences of rainfall, air temperature, and fertility. It is concluded that judicious burning of Coastal bermudagrass sod is a sound management practice with an added bonus of increased yield in most years. A portable shield for efficient burning of small plots is described.
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