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Rice Ratoon Response to Main Crop Harvest Cutting Height

Everglades Res. and Education Ctr., P.O. Box 8003, Belle Glade, FL 33430. Florida Agric. Exp. Stn.

^* Corresponding author.

Although main crop rice (Oryza saliva L.) cultural practices are known to influence the subsequent ratoon crop, little specific information is available on the effect of many main crop management practices on ratoon crop performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of main crop harvest cutting height on ratoon crop agronomic performance, yield, and yield components. The ratoons of both a semidwarf and non-semidwarf southern U.S. longgrain rice cultivars were evaluated in the field for two growing seasons for response to main crop harvest cutting height. Main crop plants were harvested at a cutting height of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 m above the soil surface. The semidwarf cultivar had 7 and 40% higher grain yields than the taller cultivar in the main and ratoon crops, respectively. Ratoon plant height and days to 50% heading were numerically different for the two cultivars, but the same in proportion to their main crop traits. Reduced cutting heights delayed ratoon maturity by up to 4 d, but had minimal effects on ratoon plant height. No interactions between cutting height, cultivar, and/or year were found for ratoon yield or yield components. Highest ratoon yields were obtained at cutting heights of 0.2 to 0.3 m. Increasing cutting heights had little effect on ratoon panicle number per meter squared, but significantly decreased filled grain number per panicle, which led to decreased ratoon yields at the highest two cutting heights. The results show that proper main crop harvest cutting height can increase ratoon yields, but selecting a cultivar with inherent ratooning ability is also essential to successful rice ratooning.

Received for publication December 3, 1992.