Evaluation of Productivity and Economic Advantage for Ratooned Rice

Abstract

Productivity and economic advantage of ratoon rice culture were evaluated in the first and second crops of 1983 at Chi-an and Yu-li townships by using two rice varieties TNS No. 18 and TN No.67 The first (main) crop was grown by transplanting method, after harvesting, while ratoon crop was raised with two treatments, one with recutting and the other without. Rice grown with transplanting method was included as check treatment in the second crop. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with four replications. Cultural methods made the plots whereas cultivars comprised the subplots. Grain yields of ratoon rice culture with cultivars and stubble treatments. Ratooning culture of TNS No.18 yielded higher particially when stubble was recutted. Ratoon crop of TNS No.18 yielded higher 10.7% at Chi-an and 10.0% at Yu-li than transplanted one, and outyielded transplanted TN No.67 by 19.2% in Chi-an and 9.3% in Yu-li. At both sites, transplanting crop of TN No.67 yielded higher than ratoon crop either with or without recutting. The grain yield decreased 3.8%∼18.4% at Chi-an and 22.1%∼28.2% at Yu-li. The growing period of ratoon crop was shorter than transplanted one. Days to maturity for TNS No.18 was shorter than TN No.67 when grown with ratooning method while ratoon crop without recutting matured earlier than that with recutting treatment. Ratooning of rice had the advantage of requiring less labor (without land preparation, sowing, raising seedling and transplanting), thereby reducing the cost by as much as 29.9%, and increasing the net profit by 109.3%(Chi-an) and 81.0%(Yu-li) in comparison with transplanted crop.