Progress and challenges of rice ratooning technology in Fujian Province, China

Rice ratooning is a resource-saving and environment-friendly cropping system. It is therefore critical to accelerating the development of ratoon rice production, which has become an important guarantee to stabilize the rice planting area, improve the self-sufficiency rate of rice, and increase farmers' income in Fujian Province. This paper summarized the general rice production trend, the research progress of mechanically harvested ratoon rice technology in variety selection (breeding), fertilizer and water management, and stubble height management. Rice cultivars such as Yongyou 1540, Yongyou 4949, Longliangyouhuazhan, and Y-liangyou 900 were used in farmers' fields in major ratoon rice growing counties such as Pucheng, Jianyang, and Fuqing. The demonstration fields with the application of the ‘3–2–1’ mechanized rice ratooning technology achieved an annual yield of more than 15.00 ​t ​ha−1 for seven consecutive years. In 2021 and 2022, the yield of ratoon crop by the application of the ‘3–2–1’ mechanized rice ratooning technology reached 9.29 and 9.48 ​t ​ha−1, respectively. In this review, the challenges for the sustainable development of mechanized ratoon rice production were also discussed, and the countermeasures and policy interventions for promoting sound ratoon rice system in Fujian were further proposed.