During February 2012 an experiment was set up to investigate the effect of fire on forage quantity (kg.dry matter/ha.) and quality (crude protein, fiber (ndf-neutral detergent fiber and adf-acid detergent fiber), in vitro digestibility of dry matter), in three phenological stages:growth, maturity and dormancy, in Mesa Grande, Calvillo, Aguascalientes, México. Fire was applied by using a 10 L. drip torch SURE SEAL® using a gasoline-diesel 6:4 relationship. The burning was conducted at 7:00 a.m with following environmental variables. Relative humidity (%) 35, temperature (oC) 12, and wind speed (km/hr.) 4. Fire was applied to 4X4 m. plots (n=5)., the remaining five (control) remained intact, only old forage was cut off at soil level. In general, during 2012 and 2013 forage production was greater (P? 0.5) in the burned plots compared to the control ones. Forage quality was much better (P? 0.5) in the plots subjected to fire than those with no fire regime (control) with respect to crude protein, fiber (ndf and adf), as well as dry matter in vitro digestibility in the three phenological stages. Although this is an exotic species native to South Africa, not palatable to cattle and other livestock that colonizes mainly overused terrains (dry land agriculture and native rangelands) all over México, fire could be an excellent alternative as an ecological strategy to manipulate the population of this non-native natal grass.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.