acci -l izion. As part of a multiple cropping scheme, the The principal characteristics of a cropping pattern featuring
chief desirability of DSR Is that it permits the establishment of an ratoon are shown in Figure 12. Since the period from initial ratoon
initial rice crop as soon as the soil has accumulated sufficient growth to grain maturity is short, the first rice crop can be estabmoisture to permit land preparation. The early establishment of the lashed late enough so that the risk of early drought stress is low. In
first rice crop greatly improves the chances of planting and harvesting most cases, this implies the use of wet seeding as the initial rice crop
a good second rice crop (Figure 7). Capital and labor use Intensity establishment technique. Ratoon growth begins immediately after (or
would be affected in a fashion similar to any technique which would sometimes before) the harvest of the plant crop. New shoots are
facilitate the double cropping of rice. produced at the base of the plant or grow from the nodes of previously
cut tillers. Since ratoon matures much sooner than the main crop,3 the
oQntributn to house ld objectives. The utilization of a PSV total duration of the main-ratoon crop is approximately 170 days.
would allow early rice crop establishment using dry seeding techniques,
which in turn enhances tne possible ity for double rice cropping. The Resource utilization. The growing of a ratoon rice variety would
potential would then exist for increased rice production and farm make use of land in the latter part of the wet season which, in cases
income. Furthermore, two rice harvests would allow greater flexibility where growing a second crop is infeasible, has no alternative use. A
in the management of rice stocks for family consumption. ratoon crop would require few if any additional capital inputs, as the
residual nitrogen not utilized by the main crop would be available for
Institutional requirements. No new inputs or policies would the ratoon. Since no effort would be spent preparing and planting land
necessarily accompany the adoption of this technology. Market effects after the first rice crop, additional labor would be required only for
would be to alter the pattern of supply, enabling rainfed farmers to the harvest.
market their rice crops earlier in the season, thus possibly gaining a
price advantage. Contribution to household objectives. By providing an added rice
harvest from areas where double rice cropping is not feasible, ratoon
Managerial reouirelents. Crop establishment practices would be cropping would increase the family food supply and modestly increase
altered with the use of DSH techniques. Furthermore, In order to derive farm income.
full benefit from the PSVs, field preparation must be accompanied at the
onset of the wet season. Production risks would be reduced as sparsely Institutional requirements. Hatoon technology would not depend
populated parts of a field could be replanted and the entire field would upon new or greatly increased levels of inputs from outside. Since
still mature simultaneously. expected ratoon crop yields are lower than expected main crop yields,
minimal additional stress would be placed on the product market.
Arojmic reouirments. The biological feasibility of varieties
which flower and mature under day length conditions prevalent during the Managerial requirements. Ratoon rice cropping requires no new or
middle of the rainy season would need to be explored by the plant unfamiliar techniques. The importance of timing of crop activities is
breeders. The climatic fit of such a variety as the first crop in a two not greatly increased, though main crop establishment early in the wet
rice crop pattern would be similar to that presented in Figure 7. season would be preferable to ensure that both crops would grow under
optimal moisture conditions. As the ratoon crop is ready for harvest
A&_ui2j Itv to farmers. The idea of PSVs as notional technology just at the end of the rine growing season, the probability of subwas conceived after completion of field work, and hence was not pre- stantial yield reduction or crop failure due to drought stress is low.
rented to farmers for judgment. However, the probable benefit of this Furthermore, the possibility still exists for planting and growing an
technology is that It would alleviate the uneven maturation constraint upland crop under suitable soil moisture conditions.
associated with DSR, which would therefore make the seeding method more
acceptable to farmers. Another feature that makes ratoon cropping attractive in a ricebased cropping pattern is the reduced labor requirements. Since no land
Notional Technology 4 Ratoon rice varieties (RAVs) preparation or planting labor is required for ratoon, farmers may
utilize otherwise idle land and still avail themselves of alternative
Ratooning of rice Is the use of the plant's regenerative ability to employment opportunities such as harvesting on neighboring fields.
produce a subsequent crop (or crops) from field stubble after the
harvest of the first crop. The expected yields of a ratoon crop are
almost always lower than those of the main crop. The principal
advantage, then, is the potential saving of both time and labor. The 31n the case of IR-36, the ratoon matures In approximately 50-60
time-saving feature of ratoon cropping is what makes it most attractive days after harvest of the main crop.
as a potential new technology for rainfed areas with agroclimatic
conditions similar to those prevalent in Iloilo.
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