Patch-burn grazing is a practice that requires an understanding of the interaction of fire and grazing (pyric herbivory) (for more information check out www.theprairieproject.org). It divides a pasture into pieces/patches, with one burn rotationally each year. It helps control woody plant encroachment and provides high-quality forages. Despite these known benefits, the adoption of this practice by ranchers has been slow and limited. This study focused on the benefits of patch-burn grazing by estimating the costs and long-term economic benefits. Additionally, researchers compared patch-burning to traditional applications of prescribed fire burning fenceline to fenceline or an entire pasture at once with a 3-year fire return interval.
East Texas Landowners: $800,000 Available for Prescribed Burning
Texas A&M Forest Service grant application period is now open and will close September 30, 2024 for prescribed fire grants awarded to East Texas Landowners.
To determine if you are eligible to apply and to access the online application, be sure to visit the Texas A&M Forest Service Site. There have been some changes this year including the name, eligible area for the program and rate changes. In addition, the recipient of this award must be a licensed or utilize a contractor who is licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture as a certified and insured prescribed burn manager. Texas A&M Forest Service does not conduct the prescribed burns.
Below are the changes that have been made to this year’s grant program:
- The program name has changed to the State Fire Capacity near Federal Lands in East Texas Prescribed Fire Grant (SFC-ETX).
- The program area has shifted to 20 counties in southeast Texas
- Applicants who desire to burn on a 2-year fire return interval, the rate has been reduced to $22.50 per area
- Maximum reimbursement rate for a new project is $30.00 per acre
- If you received payments in 2024, you are not eligible for 2025 funding
- If you were approved in 2024 and did not complete your project, you will be given priority in 2025
- If you received funding in 2023 and are reapplying, the maximum reimbursement rate is $22.50 per acre
- If you received funding in 2022 or prior, maximum reimbursement is $30.00 per acre
You can find more information about each of these programs here!
For questions please reach out to – ETxRxFireGrants@tfs.tamu.edu
Stability of C3 and C4 Grass Patches in Woody Encroached Rangeland after Fire and Simulated Grazing
In the western portion of the southern Great Plains, grasslands are defined as “southern mixed”, with warm season or C4 mid-grasses being dominant and cool season or C3 short-grasses in less frequent densities. As woody plant encroachment increasingly dominates, the productive warm season C4 grasses begin to decline with less abundance on the landscape and even less productivity. Woody plant dominance also reduces plant diversity eroding heterogeneity in the mixed-grass prairie. Recently, researchers measured the effects of various combinations of spring clipping (mimicked cattle grazing) and prescribed fire treatments over an 8 year period on Texas wintergrass and buffalograss with the overall objective of reducing Texas wintergrass abundance and increasing warm season C4 mid-grass species and diversity.
Drought Update!
Did you know that East and Northeast Texas received two to four times the normal amount of rainfall in July? Unfortunately, the other half of the State did not do as well, as some places in West Texas only received a half an inch of rain. With the increase in rains in Eastern areas of the State, Lake Travis saw 78,000 acre-feet of runoff pour into the basin! Even with that amount of runoff, Lake Travis still remains at less than 50% full. The figure below shows the reservoir storage for Lake Travis. In looking at the figure, our numbers are above where we were for 2023 and a little bit more than where we were in 2011.
La Niña has been the dominant subject of the summer. According to this month’s update, projections are suggesting a shift to La Nina in mid-to-late summer. Looking at the figure below, there is a 45% chance that La Nina occurs during the July-August-September months. Moving ahead on the figure, we can see that shifting one month over, there is a 70% chance of those La Niña conditions occurring in August-September-October months.
Looking ahead at the three month drought outlook, you can see in the figure below, that West Texas will remain in drought conditions. There is also the possibility for drought conditions to develop in the Northern Panhandle.
In looking at the 3-month precipitation forecast, Texas does not look to be receiving a greater chance of rain. As you can see, the East Coast is set to have above normal chances of rain, with East Texas catching a tail end of that wave. On the other side of that, the Northern Panhandle is forecasted to receive less than normal rainfall. The figure below explains more of the 3-month forecast.
For more information, be sure to check out the full article here from Texas+Water.
Impact of Goats on Cattle Diet Composition
Did you know that having goats in your pasture could potentially complement the existing cattle operation while boosting livestock productivity and plant community diversity? Goats normally prefer and preferentially consume various types of woody and forb species more so than cattle do, and that their presence in a pasture does not alter what the cattle preferentially select to eat.
[Read more…] about Impact of Goats on Cattle Diet Composition
Influence of Environment and Stage of Growth on Honey Mesquite Response to Herbicides
Honey mesquite varies widely in its response to herbicides. Previous research demonstrates most effective treatments have occurred about 50 to 90 days after the first leaves appear in the spring when they are fully formed and dark green (Bovey and Mayeux, Jr. 1981; Jacoby and Meyers 1983; Meyer et al., 1986). More recently, triclopyr has been found to be effective for control of honey mesquite (Bovey and Mayeux, Jr. 1981; Jacoby et al., 1981; Jacoby and Meadors 1983). Also, clopyralid has been found to be highly effective for controlling honey mesquite (Bovey and Mayeux, Jr. 1981; Jacoby et al., 1981).
North American Grasslands Conservation Council – Upcoming Bill
Did you know that grasslands provide vital habitat for a multitude of species which represent the lifeblood of local and regional economies?? That the maintenance of health populations of grasslands species and working lands are critical for rural economies? That grassland and rangeland ecosystems provide essential and significant habitat for mammals, pollinators, reptiles, and other wildlife? Roughly 358,000,000 acres or 85% of the United States is privately owned and serves as an important habitat for 29 grassland bird species!
[Read more…] about North American Grasslands Conservation Council – Upcoming Bill
Herbicide Efficacy Following Defoliation on Honey Mesquite
Grasshoppers are in full force this year! Has that delayed your foliar herbicide applications on mesquite? If herbicide application success is dependent on optimal uptake through healthy, mature leaves, then what effect can varying defoliation rates have on herbicide efficacy of clopyralid, triclopyr, and clopyralid+triclopyr applications?
[Read more…] about Herbicide Efficacy Following Defoliation on Honey Mesquite
Drought and Triclopyr on Clopyralid Efficacy in Honey Mesquite
Ever wonder the effectiveness of herbicides on honey mesquite during drought? Well, researchers from our department were wondering the same thing and studied how drought effects herbicide efficacy in herbaceous and woody plants. There were chamber studies conducted to evaluate the influence of water stress and triclopyr on the absorption and translocation of clopyralid in greenhouse-grown honey mesquite. Clopyralid is an auxin-type herbicide highly effective at honey mesquite control. It is often used alone or in combinations with other active ingredients to form common honey mesquite foliar-applied herbicides like Sonora™ and Sendero™.
[Read more…] about Drought and Triclopyr on Clopyralid Efficacy in Honey Mesquite
Future Wildfire Seasons: Hotter, Dryer, and Longer
A Fire danger index (FDI) is a measure that is used to assess the risk and severity of a fire. It relies on the combination of weather and fuel conditions. These FDI’s have been used to help predict and manage the risk of wildfires. Even with these tools, there is still uncertainty in predicting the likelihood of fire ignition or the potential size the fire can get.
In the study below, four of the FDI’s were analyzed and had a sensitivity analysis performed on them to determine the most important drivers. The sensitivity analysis determined that daily minimum relative humidity, precipitation, and wind speed were the most important driving factors in future wildfire dangers, including length of a wildfire season.
The study also included a regional climate model simulation to derive FDI’s for current and future climate conditions. The results from this simulation suggested that an overall increase in fire potential and a prolonged wildfire season is expected in our future Texas climate. Enhanced fire frequency and fire season length is expected to occur in Spring and Summer throughout the Southern Great Plains.
By 2050, the number of days with wildfire danger in Texas could increase by as many as 40 days per year with high heat and dry periods significantly lengthening the wildfire season.
For more information and to read the study below, click here – Earth s Future – 2023 – Yu – Performance of Fire Danger Indices and Their Utility in Predicting Future Wildfire Danger Over!
Yu, G., Feng, Y., Wang, J., & Wright, D. B. (2023). Performance of fire danger indices and their utility in predicting future wildfire danger over the conterminous United States. Earth’s Future, 11(11). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023ef003823