Smoky Hills Prescribed Burn Association

Speaking of Old World Bluestem, I was clipping the grass this afternoon to determine production. I realize OWB gets a bad rap from many thinking it is bad grass, however its production out competes natives - actually, it out competes natives in a lot of ways. I clipped a patch of Buffalo grass (330 pounds per acre), an area of mixed natives (3600 pounds per acre), a patch of yellow bluestem (4690 pounds per acre), and two patches of Caucasian bluestem (6690 and 7040 pounds per acre). If you are wanting production, OWB produces. We may never kill OWB but the hope is using August back burns will help to control its spread. Those of us who are using this method will be watching the results and reporting back to the membership. From my experience, the first succession will be an increase in forbs the first year. This is followed by an increase in native grasses after the second year.

‘It’s beginning to look a lot like August, everywhere you go …’! Time to burn your Old World Bluestem! Rick Pflughoeft, a SHPBA member in our Ellsworth county contingent, was out burning his in Friday. SHPBA is promoting the research of back burning OWB during August as a method of control. We may never rid ourselves of that nemesis, but the more we research the better for all ranchers in the Smoky Hills.

KSU research on using digital technology in prescribed burns, impacts of mega fires, and uncertainty across counties in prescribed burns.

At the we came across a reasonably priced UTV sprayer. Contact information is attached if you need some equipment. Grace Machine Inc

Every prescibed burn association needs their own music video

SHPBA Music Video The Smoky Hills Prescribed Burn Association is a 501c3 landowner co...

Happy hour and awards ceremony