RICE RATOONING - IRRI books - International Rice Research Institute

Potential of rice ratooningin MadagascarB. B. ShahiB.P. 4151, Antananarivo, MadagascarandJeanine RaharinirianFOFIFA, Ambatobe, Antananarivo, MadagascarABSTRACTMadagascar has some excellent environments for ratoon cropping. Because the percapita consumption of rice is one of the world’s highest and because there is need forhigher rice production to feed the growing population and to decrease rice imports,ratoon cropping may play an important role. In the high plateau where low temperatureprevails after main crop harvest, farmers are interested in ratoon straw yield for cattlefodder. In some areas of Mananjary on the east coast, farmers use a variety calledMampana for ratoon cropping. Some research work done in the past is reported in thispaper. Potential local and introduced germplasm are also given.Madagascar is the fourth biggest island in the world, about 600,000 m 2 in area. It issituated between 12° and 26º south of equator and 43° and 55° east. It is about 400km east of African coast. Rice is the staple food of the people. It has played a mostimportant role in the socioeconomic development of this country. About 1.2 millionhectares are under cultivation and average yield is 1.8 t/ha. The population, which isabout 9.5 million, is growing rapidly, resulting in a shortage of rice in the localmarket. The per capita consumption of rice in Madagascar is the world's highest,about 150 kg. From a rice exporting country, Madagascar has become a netimporting country since 1973.Rice has been cultivated for centuries in Madagascar and has a complexhistory of introduction, adoption, and dissemination from the coastal area to thehigh plateau with very specialized type of cultivation. Wild rice species such as Oryzasativa Linn (red rice), O. longistaminata A. Chev., O. perennis Moench., and O.barthii A. Chev. occur naturally in the Alaotra, Marovoay, and East coast regions,and were certainly not introduced by immigrants to this country.The extremely wide diversity of eco-edaphic regions, climatic variations,cropping systems, and cropping seasons has led to a correspondingly broadvariability within the traditional rice varieties in Madagascar. Rice planting andharvesting are a continuous phenomenon from the coastal area to the high plateau.This has resulted in the absence of a clearly defined rice harvesting season.The different season crops are locally called asara, atriatry, jeby, aloha, siha,