EXTENSION AG EDUCATOR Patch – Burn Grazing Considerations
The use of rangelands for cattle grazing is the best way to convert forage, an unconsumable product for humans, to beef - a consumable and demanded product. Therefore, effective rangeland management is essential to profitable beef production. As of January 2023, approximately 28.9 million head of beef cattle rely on Oklahoma rangelands for sustainable nutrients, making up a $1.97 billion industry (USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 2019) (USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 2023b). Effectively managed rangelands also contribute to positive environmental outcomes such as reduced soil erosion, more suitable habitats for wildlife and increased water holding capacity in a state prone to droughts.
One management practice that has historically shaped today’s rangelands is pyric-herbivory. Pyric-herbivory, also known as patchburn grazing, uses fire to influence grazing behavior, while preserving and improving the rangelands used for cattle production. When using patch-burn grazing, one or two patches are burned every year. Typically, for cow-calf producers, it is recommended to burn twice a year, early spring and early fall, to optimize continual grazing of high-quality forages. Research shows the benefits of patch-burn grazing from mitigating drought impacts, limiting woody plant encroachment (WPE) and controlling wildfires to diversifying habitats for wildlife and providing high quality forages for livestock (Duvall and Whitaker 1964; Fuhlendorf and Engle 2001; Fuhlendorf et al. 2009; McGranahan et al. 2012; Twidwell et al. 2021; Wilcox et al. 2022).
Given these benefits of patch-burn grazing, why don’t more cattle producers in the Great Plains utilize the practice? A recent study shows that a lack of awareness and resistance to management practice changes from seasoned producers are the main reasons for lack of adoption (Adhikari et al. 2023). Cattle producers may already use prescribed fire on their operation by following a more traditional approach of burning the entire pasture at one time every three years. So, the knowledge of utilizing fire to maintain rangelands already exists. However, maintaining a homogeneous landscape (uniform in appearance and plant growth) may be hindering the rangelands more than sustaining them (Fuhlendorf et al. 2017). While it may not be suitable for every operation, knowing the costs along with the economic and environmental benefits of patch-burn grazing can potentially provide long-term benefits on cow-calf operations in Oklahoma and across the Great Plains region.
•Where to Start Prior to changing over to patch-burning, whether transitioning from traditional burning management practices or starting from scratch, there are steps that need to be taken to ensure the process of pyric-herbivory is executed safely and used in a way to take advantage of its full potential. An overview of the necessary steps along with other Extension articles are listed below and summarized from an article from the Oklahoma State University Extension.1
•Develop A Written Burn Plan A burn plan is a summary of the goals of and information about the burn that is to be conducted at a future date. A written plan is essential to have if the fire was to get out of hand or cause any damage. Additionally, a burn map also allows for any crew members involved to have a clear understanding of the sequence of fires started so that safety precautions can be made. Firebreak construction would be determined during this process.3
•Create or join a local PBA4 A Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) is a partnership “between a group of landowners and other local citizens to conduct prescribed fires.” Benefits of being a member of a PBA include meetings and trainings to further grow local knowledge of and experience in burning. Also, the PBAs create a local network of members that can help each other conduct burns and share equipment. Requirements to join include a written burn plan and proof of insurance. Most farm and ranch liability policies include this coverage.
•Calculate stocking rate and carrying capacity5 Overstocking is one of the biggest hindrances to successful burns because the land does not have enough fuel or accumulated forage to carry an adequate burn, influencing the carrying capacity of an area. Stocking rate is the number of animals in a land area over a certain period. Carrying capacity is the stocking rate that is sustainable over time or the amount of grazeable forage available in that area without depleting it. A compatible stocking rate and carrying capacity is essential in cattle production as well as rangeland management.
•Determine fire return interval and burning seasons A fire return interval is the amount of time it takes for an adequate amount of dead plant material or litter to accumulate before the next burn. In higher precipitation areas (+30 inches), fire return interval is typically three years and four years for dryer areas. Once a fire return interval is determined, the pasture can be divided up into patches. Burns can be conducted in both the dormant and growing season, depending on the goals of the operation. Timing of burns also depends on annual precipitation levels and weather conditions at the time.
•Burn Costs A survey designed by the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State University was sent out in 2021 to landowners (37 responses) in the Great Plains who used prescribed fire on their operations over a 5-year period (2016-2020). The goal of the survey was to collect data and responses on what it cost producers to utilize prescribed fire to manage their rangelands. Producers were asked to provide the number of burns conducted per year, an estimated cost per burn and to break down the cost of their burns. For the purpose of comparing the costs of each management strategy, these responses were divided into producers who used patch-burn grazing management and those who were using a traditional approach. The average cost per acre of Patch-Burn is $4.58, and the average cost of traditional is $1.81. Firebreak construction, fuel and labor show to be the highest cost for Patch - burning. However, firebreak construction costs, labor and fuel costs, could potentially decrease when utilizing patch-burning in the following years. Initially, patch-burning does not look like the obvious rangeland management practice when noticing the $2.40 cost-per-acre difference between patch-burning and traditional management. How-ever, the benefits of patch-burning when used to influence grazing behavior, such as reduction in supplemental feed requirements (Limb et al. 2011) and drought impact mitigation (Allred et al. 2011; Allred et al. 2014; Spiess et al. 2020), serve as justification for the higher initial burn costs. Patch-burn grazing, if consistently and accurately executed, can be a cost-reducing and a beneficial long-term investment practice for cattle producers in Oklahoma and the Great Plains.
•Conclusion The higher costs of implementing patch-burn grazing can potentially be justified when looking at long-term supplemental feed costs. Factors affecting cattle production such as efficient stocking rates, precipitation and input costs should all be placed into consideration when implementing patch-burn grazing as a management practice. Providing information about the costs and economic benefits of patchburn grazing potentially improves awareness of and confidence in an alternative method of preserving rangelands while simultaneously benefiting overall beef production. Contact your Murray County Extension Office to discuss customizing a patch-burn grazing plan for your operation.
