Brownseed Paspalum Response to Season of Burning

Abstract

Season of burning as related to plant phenology, maximum temperatures achieved, and soil water content rather than duration of heat exposure (5, 15 or 30 seconds) apparently regulated fire-induced mortality of brownseed paspalum. Burning or top removal by clipping to ground line during the summer caused greatest mortality of brownseed paspalum and reduced herbage volume of surviving plants, whereas burning in early or mid-spring resulted in favorable growth responses. Fall burning was less damaging than summer burning but caused greater mortality of brownseed paspalum than did burning in the spring. Regrowth of brownseed paspalum after spring burning was equivalent to that following top removal by clipping during the same season. However, responses to summer or fall burning indicated that heat-induced damage (and/or perhaps subsequent winter kill following fall burns) occurred in addition to the effects of simple top removal.