Prescribed burning is an agricultural management practice and, in Louisiana row crop production, has often been used primarily during or soon after harvest. In grazing lands management, prescribed burning generally takes place in late winter or early spring. There are a number of environmental and other public concerns associated with this practice and the state has instituted a voluntary smoke and ash management training program to assist producers in addressing these concerns.

Additionally, a number of research projects are underway to identify possible alternatives to the prescribed burning practice. The training program stresses that growers should have a responsible attitude toward environmental and public issues in their efforts to be as efficient as possible in agricultural production. The following are some of the important objectives which producers should always strive to achieve with regard to smoke and ash management.

• Minimize the adverse effects caused by open field burning of crop stubble or grass/brush.
• Prevent smoke from being blown across public highways and airports.
• Prevent smoke from affecting public areas, especially public health facilities such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and doctors’ offices.
• Prevent smoke from impacting schools during times when students and teachers are present.
• Prevent smoke from affecting subdivisions, individual homes and other housing facilities.
• Minimize ash fallout that may result from burning crop/forage residue.

To achieve these objectives, producers should practice smoke and ash management by using recommended prescribed burning practices. Prescribed burning can be defined as the controlled application of fire to agricultural fields under weather conditions that allow the fire to be confined to a predetermined area, in a manner that will produce the desired result of reducing crop residue or undesirable vegetation. Smoke and ash management can be defined as conducting a prescribed burn under recommended weather conditions using burning techniques that reduce the adverse impact of smoke and ash on the environment, or to public health and safety.

There will be an Agricultural Prescribed Burning Certification Class conducted at the LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station on April 23^rd from 9:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. Anyone that is an agriculture land owner or land manager should attend. There is no cost to become certified but pre-registration is requested. To pre-register or get more information call the LSU AgCenter, Lincoln Parish Extension Office at 251-5134.