RICE RATOONING - IRRI books - International Rice Research Institute

18 RICE RATOONING1. Framework for visualizing ratooning within a cropping pattern context.Clearly, technical feasibility is crop specific: it may be technically feasible to grow aratoon rice crop. It may not be feasible to grow a seeded rice crop or an upland crop.If the farmer judges it is not technically feasible to grow another crop,including a purposefully managed rice ratoon, the choice is to fallow the land(decision B). Indeed, in the Philippines at least, ratoon rice is the rice that regeneratesfrom stubble if rainfall persists or if irrigation water is available later than expected.It is a nonmanaged crop. It is not surprising that ratoon yields are often low andregarded by farmers as a windfall gain.Given technical feasibility, the farmer must choose which crop(s) to growunder which management system. The crop and technology choice will depend ontwo sets of factors: first, the managerial feasibility of alternatives, and second, thesocioeconomic viability of alternative crops and ways to produce them. Animportant decision is whether a purposeful ratoon crop is feasible and moreprofitable than alternative uses of the land.Management factors (node C) which may influence a farmer’s decision toratoon a rice crop, rather than to cultivate the field, may include:• the condition of the stubble (field conditions, stand density, etc), and• anticipated disease/weed/insect problems which may occur with or follow aratoon crop.