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Burning, then resting, reduces wiregrass (Aristida spp.) in black speargrass pastures

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Paton, C.J. and Rickert, K.G. (1989) Burning, then resting, reduces wiregrass (Aristida spp.) in black speargrass pastures. Tropical Grasslands, 23 (4). pp. 211-218.

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Abstract

Wiregrasses (Aristida spp.) are becoming more prevalent, causing reduced productivity, in the black speargrass (Heterpogon contortus) pastures of south-east Queensland. Burning a native pasture of poor botanical composition (with a high proportion of wiregrass) in spring, and resting a heavily-grazed pasture also of poor composition, both improved the condition of these pastures. However, burning in late summer did not. Three months after burning in spring, relative density of wiregrass had decreased and that of a desirable species, black speargrass, had increased. However, this effect did not persist under continuous and heavy grazing. Resting increased threefold both the yield of pasture and the proportion of black speargrass, and decreased the proportion of wiregrass by two-thirds. Burning in late summer had no effect on the relative density of black speargrass but relative density of wiregrass increased. Selective grazing after burning in late summer kept this pasture in very poor condition for 14 months.
These results suggest that the best way to increase the proportion of black speargrass and reduce the proportion of wiregrass in a pasture would be to burn in spring and then rest the pasture

Item Type:Article
Additional Information:© Tropical Grassland Society of Australia Inc.
Keywords:Pastures; wiregrasses; Aristida spp.; reduced productivity; black speargrass; grazing; south-east Queensland
Subjects:Animal culture > Rangelands. Range management. Grazing
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Agriculture and the environment
Live Archive:10 May 2012 07:08
Last Modified:28 Nov 2022 04:46

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