scholarly journals Effects of Growing-Season Prescribed Burning on Vigor of the Noxious Weed Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) in the Kansas Flint Hills

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Alexander ◽  
W. H. Fick ◽  
J. Lemmon ◽  
C. A. Gurule ◽  
G. W. Preedy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Lespedeza Cuneata ◽  
Sericea Lespedeza ◽  
Flint Hills ◽  
Noxious Weed

scholarly journals Effects of prescribed fire timing on vigor of the invasive forb sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), total forage biomass accumulation, plant-community composition, and native fauna on tallgrass prairie in the Kansas Flint Hills

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Alexander ◽  
W H Fick ◽  
S B Ogden ◽  
D A Haukos ◽  
J Lemmon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Lespedeza Cuneata ◽  
Sericea Lespedeza ◽  
Basal Cover ◽  
Flint Hills ◽  
Butterfly Communities

Abstract The predominant grazing management practice of the Kansas Flint Hills involves annual prescribed burning in March or April with post-fire grazing by yearling beef cattle at a high stocking density from April to August. There has been a dramatic increase in sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata [Dumont] G. Don) coincident with this temporally-focused use of prescribed fire in the Flint Hills region. The species is an aggressive invader and a statewide noxious weed in Kansas. Control has generally been attempted using repeated herbicide applications. This approach has not limited proliferation of sericea lespedeza and resulted in collateral damage to non-target flora and fauna. Alternative timing of prescribed fire has not been evaluated for its control. Our objectives for this 4-yr experiment were to (1) document the effects of prescribed burning during early April, early August, or early September on vigor of sericea lespedeza, standing forage biomass, and basal cover of native graminoids, forbs, and shrubs and (2) measure responses to fire regimes by grassland bird and butterfly communities. Whole-plant dry mass, basal cover, and seed production of sericea lespedeza were markedly less (P < 0.01) in areas treated with prescribed fire in August or September compared with April. Forage biomass did not differ (P ≥ 0.43) among treatments when measured during July; moreover, frequencies of bare soil, litter, and total basal plant cover were not different (P ≥ 0.29) among treatments. Combined basal covers of C4 grasses, C3 grasses, annual grasses, forbs, and shrubs also did not differ (P ≥ 0.11) between treatments. Densities of grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), dickcissel (Spiza americana), and eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) were not negatively affected (P > 0.10) by mid-summer or late-summer fires relative to early-spring fires. There were no differences (P > 0.10) in densities of grassland-specialist butterfly species across fire regimes. Under the conditions of our experiment, prescribed burning during summer produced no detrimental effects on forage production, desirable non-target plant species, grassland birds, or butterfly communities but had strong suppressive effects on sericea lespedeza. Additional research is warranted to investigate how to best incorporate late-summer prescribed fire into common grazing-management practices in the Kansas Flint Hills.

scholarly journals Effects of prescribed fire timing on grazing performance of yearling beef cattle, forage biomass accumulation, and plant community characteristics on native tallgrass prairie in the Kansas Flint Hills

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z M Duncan ◽  
A J Tajchman ◽  
M P Ramirez ◽  
J Lemmon ◽  
W R Hollenbeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Lespedeza Cuneata ◽  
Sericea Lespedeza ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Basal Cover ◽  
Flint Hills

Abstract Recent research demonstrated that mid- or late-summer prescribed fires can be employed to manage sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) infestations in the Kansas Flint Hills. The effects of prescribed fire applied during the growing season (i.e., August to October) on grazing performance of yearling cattle have not been evaluated. Native pastures (n = 18; 22 ± 4.0 ha) were grouped by watershed and assigned randomly to 1 of 3 prescribed-fire treatments: spring (7 April ± 2.1 d), summer (21 August ± 5.7 d), or autumn (2 October ± 9.9 d). Yearling beef cattle were grazed from May to August at a targeted stocking density of 280 kg live-weight ˖ ha -1 following prescribed fire application. Forage biomass accumulations, soil cover, plant species composition, and root carbohydrate concentrations in four native plant species were evaluated. Total BW gains and ADG were greater (P = 0.01) for cattle that grazed the spring and summer prescribed-fire treatments compared with those that grazed the autumn prescribed-fire treatment. As a result, final BW were greater (P = 0.04) in the spring and summer treatments than the autumn treatment. Conversely, forage biomass accumulations did not differ (P = 0.91) between fire regimes. Proportions of bare soil were greater (P < 0.01) in the spring treatment compared with the summer and autumn treatments, whereas proportions of litter on the soil surface were greater (P < 0.01) in summer- and autumn-burned pastures compared with spring-burned pastures. Total basal cover of graminoids and forbs did not differ (P ≤ 0.15) between prescribed fire treatments. Likewise, total basal cover of C3 or C4 perennial grasses did not differ (P ≥ 0.23) between prescribed fire treatments. No treatment differences (P = 0.24) in root starch or root water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations in big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), or purple prairieclover (Dalea purpurea) were detected. These data were interpreted to suggest that summer or autumn prescribed fire can be applied without reducing forage biomass accumulations, root carbohydrate concentrations in key native plant species, or considerably altering native plant populations compared with conventional spring-season prescribed fire; however, summer prescribed fire could be favored over spring or autumn prescribed fire to both maintain stocker cattle growth performance and to achieve control over sericea lespedeza.

Geospatial Soil and Plant Tissue Analysis of Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) Invasion around Lake Issaqueena, South Carolina

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 630-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Mikhailova ◽  
Donald Hagan ◽  
Julia Sharp ◽  
Tristan Allerton ◽  
Kylie Burdette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Plant Tissue ◽  
Tissue Analysis ◽  
Lespedeza Cuneata ◽  
Sericea Lespedeza

Effects of Sericea Lespedeza on Feed Intake, Digestion, and Ruminal Methane Emission in Hair Sheep

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 41-41
Author(s):  
Luana L Ribeiro ◽  
Ryszard Puchala ◽  
Arthur L Goetsch
Keyword(s):  
Methane Emission ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Coconut Oil ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Repeated Measure ◽  
Lespedeza Cuneata ◽  
Hair Sheep ◽  
Initial Body Weight ◽  
Sericea Lespedeza

Abstract Eighteen Katahdin (initial body weight of 74 kg; SEM=1.8) and 18 St. Croix ewes (55 kg; SEM=1.3) were used in an experiment with four 6-wk periods to determine effects of dietary level of Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) containing 5.8% condensed tannins (dry matter; DM) and other supplemental ingredients on feed intake, digestion, and ruminal methane emission. Diets were consumed ad libitum and included a concentrate supplement at 0.45% BW (DM). Alfalfa was the basal forage for control (CON), ionophore (ION; lasalocid at 33 mg/kg DM), coconut oil (3%; CCO), and soybean oil (3%; SBO) diets, and forage in moderate- and high-lespedeza diets was a 1:1 mixture of alfalfa and lespedeza and all lespedeza, respectively (MSL and HSL, respectively). Data were analyzed with a 2 x 6 factorial arrangement of treatments, period as a repeated measure, and a mixed effects model. Digestion and methane emission were determined in weeks 4, 10, 16, and 22. Total DM intake was similar among treatments (P = 0.070) but numerically greatest for HSL (1,197, 1,297, 1,491, 1,203, 1,195, and 1,207 g/d; SEM=81.1), OM digestibility ranked (P < 0.05) CON, ION, CCO, and SBO > MSL > HSL (69.2, 57.6, 50.3, 66.3, 66.0, and 68.7%; SEM=1.57), and digestible OM intake was similar among treatments (P = 0.517; 697, 607, 589, 598, 635, and 690 g/d for CON, MSL, HSL, ION, CCO, and SBO, respectively; SEM=50.4). There were no interactions involving time in ruminal methane emission, which was greatest among treatments for CON (P < 0.05) in MJ/d (1.39, 0.93, 0.90, 0.92, 0.85, and 0.96; SEM=0.069) and relative to digestible energy intake (20.6, 15.7, 16.8, 16.1, 13.7, and 13.9% for CON, MSL, HSL, ION, CCO, and SBO, respectively; SEM=1.223). In conclusion, dietary inclusion of Sericea lespedeza may offer a natural and sustainable means of decreasing ruminal methane emission by hair sheep as previously shown in goats, with a magnitude of impact similar to that of some other supplemental dietary ingredients.

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Sericea Lespedeza Hay on Behavior, Heat Energy, and Ruminal Methane Emission by Growing Alpine Doelings and Katahdin Ewe Lambs

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 38-38
Author(s):  
Wei L Wang ◽  
Luana L Ribeiro ◽  
Italo L Portugal ◽  
Terry A Gipson ◽  
Arthur L Goetsch
Keyword(s):  
Methane Emission ◽  
Species Differences ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Heat Energy ◽  
Repeated Measure ◽  
Lespedeza Cuneata ◽  
Sericea Lespedeza ◽  
Ewe Lambs ◽  
Daily Gain

Abstract Twenty-four Alpine doelings (initial body weight (BW) and age of 25.3±0.55 kg and 10.4±0.11 mo, respectively) and 24 Katahdin ewe lambs (28.3±1.02 kg and 9.6±0.04 mo, respectively) were used to determine effects of dietary level of Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; 10% condensed tannins) on heat energy and ruminal emission of the greenhouse gas methane determined with an open-circuit calorimetry system. Pens with Calan feeding gates were used in the study with four 6–7-wk periods. Diets (i.e., treatments) consumed ad libitum were 75% ground hay, alfalfa, a 1:1 mixture of alfalfa and lespedeza (AL), and lespedeza. Data were analyzed with a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments, repeated measure of period, and a mixed effects model. Feeders were open 195 and 205 min/d for Alpine and Katahdin (SEM=9.8) and longer (P < 0.05) for diets with lespedeza (159, 209, and 231 min/d for alfalfa, AL, and lespedeza, respectively). Rate of dry matter intake (DMI) was greater (P < 0.05) for Katahdin vs. Alpine (10.2 and 6.1 g/min) and for alfalfa than for AL and lespedeza (11.1, 8.1, and 6.7 g/min, respectively). Heat energy was greater (P < 0.05) in MJ/d for Katahdin than for Alpine (10.19 vs. 7.90) and similar among diets (9.20, 9.40, and 8.53; SEM=0.266), but values in kJ/kg BW0.75 were similar between animal types (560 and 579; SEM=8.4) and greatest (P < 0.05) among diets for AL (563, 592, and 553 for alfalfa, AL, and lespedeza, respectively). Ruminal methane emission differed (P < 0.05) between animal types in MJ/d (1.17 and 1.44), kJ/g DMI (1.39 and 1.23), and kJ/g average daily gain (ADG; 18.1 and 9.8 for Alpine and Katahdin, respectively). Regardless of period, diet did not impact methane emission in MJ/d or relative to DMI, BW, or ADG. In conclusion, it is unclear why dietary inclusion of lespedeza did not reduce ruminal methane emission as in previous studies. Species differences in methane relative to DMI and ADG (i.e., lower for sheep than for goats) deserve further attention.

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