Farm owners and contractors that have never practiced controlled burns before might be a little cautious about starting the practice.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be extremely stressful and harrowing.
But don’t kid yourself, either. There is a surprisingly wide range of benefits that controlled burn practices carry for both wildland and ag land management – such as these.
1. Controlled burns enrich the soil
Ashes are actually quite rich in nutrients, specifically complex salts that plants need to thrive. Ash can also help relieve extremely acidic soil by helping to balance the pH, making it more hospitable to a broader range of species.
2. They give livestock a break from parasites
For farmers and ranchers whose business is livestock in the form of cattle, horses, sheep, or poultry, controlled burns help keep a lid on parasitic infestations. Not only does fire kill ticks, fleas, and mites outright, but it eliminates the brush in which they reside.
3. They efficiently dispose of cuttings, crop residue, and more
Harvest time leaves a lot of mess in the form of chaff, cuttings, and rotting leftovers in the fields that can attract vermin and which are just generally difficult to dispose of. A controlled burn can help dispatch it all more or less in one fell swoop.
4. Controlled burns actually result in an increase in soil moisture (over time)
It might sound counterintuitive, but what actually happens is this. Overgrown brush sucks moisture from the soil; the burn eliminates the brush; then there is no more excess brush to rob the soil of moisture, so with the next few rains (or irrigations) the soil becomes richer with moisture overall.
5. They can help control the biomass of invasive species
Invasive species are crafty but few are well adapted to resist fire. Through controlled burns, you can help control the progress and infestation of invasive species (both plants and animals) on your land.
6. Controlled burns support some ecosystems
Controlled burns, with respect to wildland management, can actually help some ecosystems. There are some organisms (like pitch pines) that cannot reproduce at all in the absence of fire. Still, other pioneer species prefer early successional habitat for proliferation.
7. They help mitigate the risk of wildfire
Last but not least, controlled burn practices help ease the risk of wildfire. You can’t burn what’s already burned, and controlled burns also help clear out dry brush and overgrowth which is a fire risk in the first place.
Work Smarter, Not Harder, with Skid Steer Attachments That Will Never Surrender
If you’re considering taking up the practice of controlled burning for your ranch, farm, or orchard, work smarter, not harder, with Spartan Equipment skid steer attachments that will never surrender.
The following skid steer attachments can be highly useful:
- Articulating brush cutter attachments: Articulating brush cutter attachments are great for making a first pass over an area to clear out the low-lying brush so it can be consolidated into a burn pile (skid steer brush cutters are also great for clearing pond banks and cutting trails, and for clearing other rights of way).
- Skid steer grapple rakes: Skid steer grapple rakes are great for pulling up roots and dragging logs and brush together into a central burn pile.
- Log grapples: If you have felled a lot of trees and are going to burn them, a log grapple can be an indispensable instrument with respect to moving and consolidating them.
- Skid steer trenchers: In this arena, skid steer trencher attachments can be used to create firebreaks to help control the burn.
These skid steer attachments can make your work easier and help you manage larger areas of land.
