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Title: CAN TOTAL NON-STRUCTURAL CARBOHYDRATES AT MAIN CROP HARVEST BE USED AS A TOOL FOR RATOON RICE MANAGEMENT?

Author
item JUND, M - TEXAS A&M UNIV
item TURNER, F - TEXAS A&M UNIV
item BERGMAN, CHRISTINE
item MCCAULEY, G - TEXAS A&M UNIV
item GIPSON, NAOMI
item HAGLER, D - TEXAS A&M UNIV

Submitted to: Rice Technical Working Group Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/11/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) in main crop (MC) stems harvest has been correlated with ratoon crop (RC) yield in research plots. This suggests that knowing TNC at MC harvest may help indicate appropriate management to optimize RC yield. To create a range in MC TNC, rice plots planted with Jefferson in 1998 and 1999 were shaded for 18 to 21 days after MC flowering and MC was cut at two levels. MC shading effects on TNC was more evident in 1999 when TNC levels were higher. TNC level effects on ratoon yield increased as ratoon yield potential decreased. Lowering MC stubble height from 46 to 20 in 1998 increased RC yield. Effects of MC cutting height were more evident in 1999 when ratoon yields were higher. When MC stubble was reduced to 20 in 1999, a strong relationship between TNC and RC yield existed. RC yields from the 46 in cutting height were not affected by MC TNC levels. The benefits of the lower cutting height may be due to increased light reaching the developing tillers. Across both years, MC TNC explained a large portion of the variance in RC yield (coefficient of variation = 0.63). A third years data will be added to this research to establish the strength of this relationship. Also, preliminary work using the samples described above indicates that it may be possible to develop a robust near infrared reflectance calibration equation to predict MC TNC.