EFFECT OF BURNING ON VEGETATION IN KANSAS 
PASTURES 1 
By R. L. Hensel 2 
Pasture Specialist , Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station 
Burning pastures in the spring is a common practice on many Kansas 
farms. Those who practice burning contend that it reduces weeds, 
provides green feed at an earlier date and insures a better distribution 
of stock and more uniform grazing. It is also contended that no injury 
to the grass results. On the other hand, there are those who oppose 
burning on the ground that it does not cause growth to start earlier 
and that it injuries the pastures by encouraging the growth of weeds 
and by decreasing the stand of desirable grasses. They admit that 
burned areas appear green earlier but maintain that the difference is 
apparent rather than real, for if a close examination is made it will be 
found that there are as many green plants on the unburned areas as on 
the burned. The accumulated surface litter covers the green plants in 
the former case. 
No doubt the practice of grass burning is a relic of Indian days when 
it was customary for the different tribes to burn off certain, well-chosen 
areas in the spring. The main object apparently was to obtain fresh, 
green feed early in the year. Moreover, the areas made greener by 
burning would more likely attract game animals and hunting would be 
made easier. 
This practice was perhaps passed on to the earlier settlers and has 
been continued to the present day. The objects now, however, are 
different. Today, one of the principal objects of burning pastures is 
to provide inexpensive forage for live stock early in the season, thereby 
eliminating the cost of the more expensive feed. In addition to this, 
there are always areas in the larger pastures which for various reasons 
are not fully grazed. The grass in these places grows rank and becomes 
unpalatable. Burning destroys this dead, unpalatable grass and per¬ 
mits the new growth to be grazed to better advantage. No experi¬ 
mental evidence relating to tie effect of burning appears to be avail¬ 
able, although it is clear that such information is needed in view of the 
importance of the question and the controversial opinions regarding it. 
In order to secure such information, the Kansas Agricultural Experi¬ 
ment Station began a series of studies in 1918, which were designed to 
secure data on the question. These experiments were conducted about 
9 miles north of Manhattan on a 1,500-acre tract of pasture land. 3 The 
1 Accepted for publication Aug. 18, 1942. Contribution No. 142 from the Department of Agronomy, 
Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. 
* The experiments discussed in this paper were inaugurated in 1918 by Mr. R. K. Bonnett. In 1919, 
Mr. C. W. Mullen had charge of the work until July 15. Since that time the work has been in charge of 
the author. 
* Mr. Dan D. Casement of Manhattan cooperates with the Agricultural Experiment Station in the study 
of certain pasture problems on this tract of land. 
Journal of Agricultural Research. 
Washington, D. C. 
acq 
(63*) 
VoL XXIII, No. 8 
Feb. 24, 1923 
Key. No. Kans.-s9 
