Ratoon rice--prospects for increased yield potential

摘要

With increasing population growth, day-to-day food demand is getting increased and the agricultural land is being diverted to non-agricultural uses. Because there is little possibility for bringing more land under cultivation, crop intensification an d higher yields seems to be the only research avenues open for scientists to bridge the increasing gap between food production and food demand. The honourable Prime Minister of India, his excellency Mr Atal Vihari, addressed the Agricultural Scientistson the occasion of 7Oth Annual General Body Meeting of ICAR to develop research to reduce the cost of production of crops and improve the competitiveness. Therefore, in this context, the low-cost technology of rice ratooning needs special attention, asthis type of agronomic practice is already existing successfully in sugarcane. At this scenario, obviously to meet the challenging needs of the day, food production should increase through intensifying the land-use efficiency. Out of several approaches considered for enhancing the productivity status in rice, crop intensification by growing hybrid rice and high-yielding varieties, adopting ratoon cultivation is one way to achieve the said mandate.