Ratoon

• The word ‘ratoon’ seems to have originated either from Latin words ‘retonus’-cut down or mown
• The Spanish word ‘rejeton’ meaning sucker or scion

Ratoon cropping implies

• More than one harvest from a single planting
• Re-growth from the basal buds on the stem or crown which is situated at the surface of the ground
• Harvesting the aerial portion of the plat

Advantages of ratoon

• Economical by about 25-30% in the operational cost of because of saving in the cost of setts and initial preparatory cultivation
• Save time as they establish early and in general mature early so that they can be harvested early
• Stabilize the cane area of a factory
• Often give better quality cane, therefore, they may help improve sugar recovery at the start of crushing