It is now more than two months since I had any useful rain. It was one of
the warmest (if not the warmest) winters on record. We have had hot days
(30C) already and it is not two weeks into spring. Out west on the plains
they are wondering if there will be any winter-planted crops. There were
bushfires in Sydney this week. The local fire burglars have been out, with
the dust kicked up by wind and the rising pollen count I have been almost
house bound. Not a good start. The BOM says ENSO indicators are neutral.
We can hope.

But (due to irrigation) the fruit trees are blooming and the asparagus is
up! Yay!

David

David Hare-Scott wrote:

It is now more than two months since I had any useful rain. It was one of
the warmest (if not the warmest) winters on record. We have had hot days
(30C) already and it is not two weeks into spring. Out west on the plains
they are wondering if there will be any winter-planted crops. There were
bushfires in Sydney this week. The local fire burglars have been out, with
the dust kicked up by wind and the rising pollen count I have been almost
house bound. Not a good start. The BOM says ENSO indicators are neutral.
We can hope.

BOM (burro of meaterology? ) local fire burglars?


But (due to irrigation) the fruit trees are blooming and the asparagus is
up! Yay!

i'll do a rain-wiggle for ya and hope it
comes through.


songbird

songbird wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:

It is now more than two months since I had any useful rain. It was
one of the warmest (if not the warmest) winters on record. We have
had hot days (30C) already and it is not two weeks into spring. Out
west on the plains they are wondering if there will be any
winter-planted crops. There were bushfires in Sydney this week.
The local fire burglars have been out, with the dust kicked up by
wind and the rising pollen count I have been almost house bound.
Not a good start. The BOM says ENSO indicators are neutral. We can
hope.

BOM (burro of meaterology? )

yes

local fire burglars?

Those who set fires, either because they think it improves their pasture (it
doesn't) or for fun, or both.

D

David Hare-Scott wrote:
songbird wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:

It is now more than two months since I had any useful rain. It was
one of the warmest (if not the warmest) winters on record. We have
had hot days (30C) already and it is not two weeks into spring. Out
west on the plains they are wondering if there will be any
winter-planted crops. There were bushfires in Sydney this week.
The local fire burglars have been out, with the dust kicked up by
wind and the rising pollen count I have been almost house bound.
Not a good start. The BOM says ENSO indicators are neutral. We can
hope.

BOM (burro of meaterology? )

yes

good luck on the rains. we want all the
critters to be fat and happy in the pastures
down (or up ) there.


local fire burglars?

Those who set fires, either because they think it improves their pasture (it
doesn't) or for fun, or both.

we have similar types around here, but
the fire hazard is much less most of the
time.

at first i thought you were talking about
people who would set fires and then use that
as a distraction while they broke into houses.


songbird

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
songbird wrote:

local fire burglars?

Those who set fires, either because they think it improves their pasture
(it doesn't) or for fun, or both.

Why do you say it doesn't improve pastures? From observation, I'd say it
probably did improve pastures even if just because it cleans out things like
tussocks and other weeds etc and doesn't add anything.

Farm1 wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
songbird wrote:

local fire burglars?

Those who set fires, either because they think it improves their
pasture (it doesn't) or for fun, or both.

Why do you say it doesn't improve pastures? From observation, I'd
say it probably did improve pastures even if just because it cleans
out things like tussocks and other weeds etc and doesn't add anything.

Yes it does reduce some obvious weeds and gives a nice green flush if you
get a shower of rain afterwards. It is cheap compared with slashing.

But....

If not a hot fire it selectively reduces more tender grasses to the benefit
of tougher ones (eg blady grass), if a hot fire it also tends to destroy the
stolons of the grass along with the weeds so favouring seed-propagated
grasses over perennials. I think a mixed pasture with both is desireable.

It reduces organic matter which helps to hold soil moisture and nutrients, I
want to build organic content not burn it.

It reduces volatile nutrients, eg nitrogen compounds, which then have to be
replaced with chicken litter, urea etc.

It pollutes the air.

If heavy rain falls or strong wind blows after burning it can result in
erosion.

To me it a practice of yesteryear along with set stocking in big paddocks,
random (in)breeding and 'when in doubt add more super(phosphate)'. I
*might* consider doing it once to begin the rehabilitation of a badly weed
infested paddock but as an annual ritual I think it is very misguided.

have a look at this:

http://www.northern.cma.nsw.gov.au/d...hernrivers.pdf

David

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Farm1 wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
songbird wrote:

local fire burglars?

Those who set fires, either because they think it improves their
pasture (it doesn't) or for fun, or both.

Why do you say it doesn't improve pastures? From observation, I'd
say it probably did improve pastures even if just because it cleans
out things like tussocks and other weeds etc and doesn't add anything.

Yes it does reduce some obvious weeds and gives a nice green flush if you
get a shower of rain afterwards. It is cheap compared with slashing.

But....

If not a hot fire it selectively reduces more tender grasses to the
benefit of tougher ones (eg blady grass), if a hot fire it also tends to
destroy the stolons of the grass along with the weeds so favouring
seed-propagated grasses over perennials. I think a mixed pasture with
both is desireable.

It reduces organic matter which helps to hold soil moisture and nutrients,
I want to build organic content not burn it.

It reduces volatile nutrients, eg nitrogen compounds, which then have to
be replaced with chicken litter, urea etc.

It pollutes the air.

If heavy rain falls or strong wind blows after burning it can result in
erosion.

To me it a practice of yesteryear along with set stocking in big paddocks,
random (in)breeding and 'when in doubt add more super(phosphate)'. I
*might* consider doing it once to begin the rehabilitation of a badly weed
infested paddock but as an annual ritual I think it is very misguided.

have a look at this:

http://www.northern.cma.nsw.gov.au/d...hernrivers.pdf

I finally found time to read parts of that cite.

I noted the obligatory full page Aboriginal recognition (yawn!) and later a
whole 2 paragraphs devoted to regular burning (underline that) and one of
paras referring to north coast (underline that) blady grass impacts.

Not a lot of use nor ornament. No doubt that publication was designed to be
handed out like a free lollie at small farm field days. (And yes, I do
acknowledge that I am a cynic).

A number of points that occured as I read your post:

You're talking about regular burning whereas I wasn't thinking specificially
about regular burning. We don't burn our pasture regularly (or ever), don't
know anyone who does or ever has done, so I am more interested in the
impacts following a sometimes burn such as what happens after, say, a grass
fire.

Stolons aren't a feature of all pasture grasses, are somewhat rare aren't
round here and I've never even heard of blady grass. But if a fire can
manage to kill the stolons of white clover, then I might just set fire to my
rose bed where the sodding clover is growing like Topsy. It's where I grab
handfuls to feed the cows mouthfuls when they decide to hang over the gate
between the veg garden and the paddock.

Erosion following fire may or may not happen. It's never a given.

Palatability of regrowth is worth a consideration. I don't like tough old
lettuces and I've no doubt that pasture grazers prefer lush growth to dry
standing forage.

Nutrients in burned grasses can't all be lost. Some of it must return to
the soil in the form of ash.

Farm1 wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
songbird wrote:

local fire burglars?

Those who set fires, either because they think it improves their pasture
(it doesn't) or for fun, or both.

Why do you say it doesn't improve pastures? From observation, I'd say it
probably did improve pastures even if just because it cleans out things like
tussocks and other weeds etc and doesn't add anything.

every bit of carbon lost to the air in
burning is that much less available to be
turned into humus.


songbird

"songbird" wrote in message
...
Farm1 wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
songbird wrote:

local fire burglars?

Those who set fires, either because they think it improves their pasture
(it doesn't) or for fun, or both.

Why do you say it doesn't improve pastures? From observation, I'd say it
probably did improve pastures even if just because it cleans out things
like
tussocks and other weeds etc and doesn't add anything.

every bit of carbon lost to the air in
burning is that much less available to be
turned into humus.

Photosynthesis uses atmospheric carbon to create biomass.

A lot of Photosynthetic action takes place in pastures that will not readily
burn.

Dry standing pasture which don't have lots of lush green active
photosynthesising plants burns very well, lush new growth doesn't.

Every Night Something Orful... (c) Nigel Molesworth

In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

It is now more than two months since I had any useful rain. It was one of
the warmest (if not the warmest) winters on record. We have had hot days
(30C) already and it is not two weeks into spring. Out west on the plains
they are wondering if there will be any winter-planted crops. There were
bushfires in Sydney this week. The local fire burglars have been out, with
the dust kicked up by wind and the rising pollen count I have been almost
house bound. Not a good start. The BOM says ENSO indicators are neutral.
We can hope.

But (due to irrigation) the fruit trees are blooming and the asparagus is
up! Yay!

David

Seems like 10% of the planet is looking at desertification, which drives
farmers to more marginal agricultural areas that are more prone to
erosion (and take longer to regenerate topsoil), and creating more
opportunities for desertification.

Add to this that for every degree "C" higher, during the growing season,
rice loses 10% of it's crop. Present predictions are for a 1C to 3C rise
world wide by the end of this century.
--
Palestinian Child Detained
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzSzH38jYcg

Remember Rachel Corrie
http://www.rachelcorrie.org/

Welcome to the New America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg