Ratooning

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Ratooning (from Spanish retoño, "sprout") is a method which leaves the lower parts of the plant along with the root uncut at the time of harvesting to give the ratoon or the stubble crop. The main benefit of ratooning is that the crop matures earlier in the season. Ratooning can also decrease the cost of preparing the field and planting.

This method cannot be used endlessly as the yield of the ratoon crop decreases after each cycle. Nonetheless, ratooning is known to give a steady yield for three years under most conditions, for the crops for which it most often is used.^[1]

[edit] Specific applications

In sugarcane cultivation, ratooning leads to thinner canes with low sugar content. There is also an increasing risk of pests and diseases.

Rice is grown as a monocarpic annual plant, although in tropical areas it can survive as a perennial and can produce a ratoon crop, surviving for up to 20 years.