BALIK PULAU: Malaysia is exploring a method of padi cultivation that allows farmers to plant once and harvest twice, potentially reducing production costs and manual labour.
A 2ha pilot project in Jalan Sungai Nipah here has produced its first harvest of 7.1 tonnes per hectare on Aug 19, with the second harvest now underway.
The method, known as ratoon padi cultivation, allows new shoots to grow from the stubble left after the first harvest, producing another crop without the need to prepare the land and replant.
The word “ratoon” comes from the Spanish retono, meaning a new shoot or sprout.
The practice itself is centuries old, with Chinese agricultural records documenting ratoon padi cultivation more than 1,700 years ago.
Penang Chinese Entrepreneurs Association president Dr Lee Eng Wah said the second harvest’s yield had yet to be determined.
He said the association hoped to expand the project to 20ha next season, although several technical challenges remained.
These included irrigation and drainage, planting schedules and the use of harvesting machinery that could damage the stubble needed for regrowth.
“The machinery we are currently using is rather heavy and can damage the first crop during harvesting. This could affect the yield of the subsequent harvest,” he said.
The trial, involving two local farmers, started in May using the MR333 padi variety, commonly known as Menora.
Lee said other varieties would be tested to determine which performed best under local conditions, with possible assistance from the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi).
The project draws on cultivation techniques from Fujian province, China, where researchers have developed methods to improve ratoon padi yields.
Penang trade and community unity committee chairman Goh Choon Aik recently visited a 46.7ha demonstration site in Changping village, Fujian, to study its irrigation and harvesting techniques.
One variety there was reported to yield 10.7 tonnes per hectare in its first harvest.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow visited the Balik Pulau project yesterday.
“This is the first time I am seeing it. I can confirm that the method is workable and has produced results, although the yield has yet to meet existing standards,” he said, while urging the Agriculture Department and Mardi to assess its suitability for wider adoption.
The visit saw the signing of cooperation agreements involving Penang Agrotech Sdn Bhd, the entrepreneurs association, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, and a Chinese agricultural technology company.
