Patch Burning Improves Nutritional Quality of Two Gulf Coast Grasses—And Winter Burning Is Better than Summer Burning

Abstract

Gulf cordgrass (Spartina spartinae [Trin.] Merr. ex Hitchc.) and seacoast bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium [Michx.] Nash var. littorale [Nash] Gould) are dominant native warm season grasses in the Texas Coastal Prairies and Marshes ecoregion. Mature Gulf cordgrass nutritive value is considered poor for grazing animals, while seacoast bluestem nutritive value is considered fair to good in spring and early summer. We compared season of burn effects on crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of these grasses. Our study employed four patches (200–305 ha) burned in a patch-burn grazing system (two winter, two summer 2016). Forage samples were collected before burning and every 3 d for 40 d after burning, then weekly for 50 d. Regardless of season of burning, CP was adequate for maintaining a lactating beef cow 90 d post-burning. Although peak CP in Gulf cordgrass following burning did not differ between seasons, CP increased more quickly following winter burning, when it rose abruptly for ~6.4 d and then increased more slowly to its peak at ~30 d post burn, after which it declined. After summer burning, CP of Gulf cordgrass did not increase significantly, and then declined after reaching its peak at ~29 d post burn. Gulf cordgrass NDF declined more rapidly following summer burning than winter burning but remained low for a longer period after winter burning. In seacoast bluestem, CP increased following winter burning, peaking at ~11 d after burning, but there was little change following summer burning, which did not peak until 31 d post burn. NDF of seacoast bluestem declined similarly in both seasons. This study indicates that prescribed fire during winter is more beneficial for improving the nutritive value of Gulf cordgrass and seacoast bluestem than summer burning.