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Effect of Burning Forage production of ‘Coastal’ Bermudagrass at Varying Levels of Fertilization 1
Author(s) -
Morris H. D.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1968.00021962006000050022x
Subject(s) - cynodon dactylon , agronomy , human fertilization , forage , weed control , environmental science , prescribed burn , weed , biology , zoology , ecology
The effect of burning ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) sod during the winter or early spring was determined at three levels of fertilization over a 3‐year period, 1964‐1966. Burning increased forage yields 1,140 kg/ha when a high level of fertilization was utilized. Forage yields were not increased by burning at lower levels of fertilization. The beneficial effect of burning was attained each year at the second clipping (July) and was not a result of earlier forage production. Burning provided more effective early weed control than mowing or herbicide treatments applied April 15. Burning on January 1 was not as effective for weed control as later burning. Burning April 1 provided maximum weed control and left the soil without vegetative cover for a minimum period of time. Soil temperatures on the burned plots averaged 1.7 C higher than those on the unburned plots during April and May. Burning had no significant effect on soil nitrogen content during the 3‐year experimental period.