Wheat stubble fires can harm trees

Kansas

On the prairie when the spring night sky's horizon glows a flickering yellow to red, distant ranchers are probably renewing their pastures with fire.

After the winter Wheat harvest, however, a glowing skyline also can mean that farmers are burning Wheat stubble. They are clearing their fields for planting or controlling insects and weeds.

But, they may be burning even more.

"Often, Wheat growers expect tree rows to stop Wheat stubble fires. They assume the fire won't cause any real harm or that the trees have no value," said Bob Atchison, Kansas Forest Service.

There's some truth in that assumption, he added.

"For example, mature cottonwoods and bur oaks develop thick, protective bark. So, they can withstand some exposure to fire, depending on its intensity and duration," Atchison said.

In contrast, fire easily damages valuable black walnut trees that aren't protected. Uncontrolled burning always kills any thin-barked trees, too - including all the tiny seedlings that should become the next generation of woodlands. Plus, it damages any and all tree crowns exposed to the flames.

"The trees bordering Wheat fields may be windbreaks that protect the crop from weather extremes. They may be in hedge rows that mark property or field boundaries. Sometimes they're between a Wheat field and adjacent stream or river, securing the banks and improving water quality," Atchison said. "In almost all situations, though, trees are important vegetative buffers that provide a variety of benefits, including soil conservation, wildlife habitat, timber products, recreational opportunities and beauty."

A good way to protect trees from Wheat stubble fires, the forester said, is to establish a firebreak of cultivated soil. He recommends firebreaks be at least as wide as the height of the tallest vegetation adjacent to the field.

"For safest operations, of course, farmers should always plan a Wheat stubble fire weeks or months in advance. In addition to providing protection for the trees, that planning has to include some decision making about how to conduct the burn, as well as the needed weather, manpower and equipment," Atchison said.

Landowners interested in planning controlled burns should contact their local fire chief, he said. Publications on controlled burning are available at county K-State Research and Extension offices. Kansas Forest Service and Kansas Research and Extension contact information is on the Internet at www.kansasforests.org/district/index.shtml and http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/main/maps.asp.