China’s ratoon rice technology boosts yields, food security in Malaysia

China’s ratoon rice technology is being applied to lift yields and enhance food security in Malaysia, unlocking new potential for tropical farming. Ratooning is the agricultural practice of harvesting a monocot crop by cutting most of the above-ground portion but leaving the roots, so that from that stubble, the plants can recover and produce a fresh crop in the next season.

The technique enables farmers to achieve two harvests from a single planting, effectively increasing annual harvests from two to three or even four, while saving significantly on seeds, labor, fertilizer, water and time.