RICE RATOONING - IRRI books - International Rice Research Institute

ForewordRatooning, the ability of the rice plant to regenerate new panicle-bearing tillers afterharvest, could be a practical way to increase rice production per unit area and perunit time. Because ratoon rice has a shorter growth duration than a newly plantedcrop, it can increase productivity where cropping intensity is limited by inadequateirrigation or by low temperature late in the cropping season. However, until the1970s, ratooning was not explored in a systematic way; it was practiced by farmersmore as an afterthought than as an integral component of crop management.For that reason the Workshop on Rice Ratooning was held 21-25 April 1986at Bangalore, India, under the sponsorhip of the International Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and the University ofAgricultural Sciences, Bangalore. The Workshop objectives were to discuss theprospects and economics of rice ratooning, identify the cultural methods to managethe ratoon crop, and initiate collaborative testing of varieties known to have goodratooning ability.The papers presented focused on the advantages of the rice ratoon crop—itslower production cost, greater productivity, and reduced irrigation water requirements.Disadvantages, too, came under scrutiny—generally low yields, lack ofvarieties with good ratooning ability, uneven maturity, susceptibility to insects anddiseases, and the lack of cultural practices for the ratoon crop.The papers included in this volume constitute a comprehensive review ofpresent knowledge on rice ratooning. The recommendations provide a frameworkof exploiting the advantages of rice ratooning and a strategy for overcoming theinherent problems in this rice cultural practice.The success of the Workshop was due in large part to the efforts ofthe organizing committee: M. D. Pathak, chairman; B. S. Vergara andK. Krishnamurthy, convenors; and committee members S. K. De Datta andD. HilleRisLambers.This book was edited by W. H. Smith and Vrinda Kumble with the assistanceof Emerita P. Cervantes.Klaus J. LampeDirector General