@article{Li2026, 
author = {Jinying Li and Bianhong Zhang and Jiahui Song and Danyang Li and Mengying Chen and Zhihan Chen and Bin Qin and Hailong Xu and Jingnan Zou and Peiying Weng and Wenfei Wang and Changxun Fang and Hongfei Chen and Zhixing Zhang and Wenxiong Lin},
title = {Stubble rolling primes axillary bud regeneration and increases grain yield in mechanically harvested ratoon rice in South China},
year = {2026},
journal = {The Crop Journal},
volume = {14},
number = {4},
pages = {1410-1419},
keywords = {Ratoon rice, Full-rolling and non-rolling treatments, Regenerating axillary buds, Carbon and nitrogen allocation in ratooning plants},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1016/j.cj.2026.03.022},
doi = {10.1016/j.cj.2026.03.022},
abstract = {Rice ratooning produces a second harvest from the growth of axillary buds that remain on the stubble after the main crop is harvested. Stubble rolling after mechanical harvesting may regenerate roots and tillers. The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationships between axillary bud regeneration and yield formation in ratoon rice. The experimental approach was to measure yield and axillary bud regeneration traits under full-rolling and non-rolling treatments across three sites in Fujian Province, China over two years. Full-rolling increased grain yield by 7.59%–8.40% and the regeneration capacity of axillary buds by 9.45%–17.11%. Further analyses revealed that full-rolling increased the activities of carbon- and nitrogen-metabolizing enzymes in regenerating axillary buds, as well as the expression of genes involved in carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolic pathways. Mechanical harvesting combined with stubble rolling that presses rice stubble close to the soil surface induces a regenerative growth pattern that ultimately increases ratoon rice yield.}
}