Harnessing perennial and indeterminant growth habits for ratoon cotton (Gossypium spp.) cropping

Figures & data

Table 1. Benefits and problems of ratoon cotton vs sown cotton

Class	Content	Reference
Benefits	No-tillage cultivation
	Less disturbance and more biodiversity	(Risch, Andow, and Altieri 1983; Perdikis, Fantinou, and Lykouressis 2011)
	Less soil, nutrients and water loss	(DeHaan, Van Tassel, and Cox 2005; Zhang et al. 2013)
	Less pesticide usage	(Luttrell et al. 1994; Khader and Prakash 2014)
	Without destroying cotton stalks	(Mubvekeri et al. 2014)
	Saving costs for plowing and seeds	(Zhang et al. 2013; Macharia 2013)
	Lowering labor costs	(Zhang et al. 2015a; Zhang et al. 2015b)
	Well-established root system
	Lower threat from weeds	(Evenson 1970; Khader and Prakash 2014)
	Lower demand for fertilizer	(Haughton et al. 2009; Bunzel et al. 2014)
	More adaptable to irregular rainfall	(Fontes et al. 2006; Macharia 2013)
	Sell crops from an earlier harvest	(Mubvekeri et al. 2014)
	Indeterminate flowering habit
	Longer flowering and fruiting	(Macharia 2013)
	Higher yield	(Chen et al. 2008; Zhang et al. 2015a)
	Less yield loss without pesticide usage	(Ramalho 1994)
Problems	Accumulation of pests and diseases
	Host for pests and diseases in winter	(Bergman 1985; Showler 2009)
	Earlier pest attack	(Macharia 2013)
	Obvious protuberances at base of stubs	(Zhang et al. 2015b)
	Negative plant-soil feedback	(Liu et al. 2008; Vukicevich et al. 2016)
	Overwintering risk
	Risk of damage in severe winter	(Zhang, Zhou, and Lou 2008; Chen et al. 2010a)

Table 2. Perennial semi-wild landraces of cultivated cotton species

Ploidy	Cultivated species	Perennial semi-wild landraces
Diploid (Genome A)	African cotton (G. herbaceum L., Genome A1)	Acerifolium (Bourgou et al. 2017), africanum (Chen et al. 2017), kuljianum, persicum, wightianum (Viot 2019)
	Asian cotton (G. arboreum L., Genome A2)	Bengalense, burmanicum, cernuum, indicum, sinense, soudanense (Gotmare et al. 2004; Hinze et al. 2015)
Tetraploid (Genome AD)	Upland cotton (G. hirsutum L., Genome AD1)	Latifolium, marie-galante, morrilli, palmeri, punctatum, richmondi, yucatanense (D’Eeckenbrugge and Lacape 2014)
	Island cotton (G. barbadence L., Genome AD2)	Brasiliense (Bourgou et al. 2017), peruvianum (Abdel-Salam, Negm, and Ardabb 2009), vitifolium (Okoduwa and Odigie 2008)

Figure 1. Three methods of growing ratoon cotton: (A) perennial cropping for the semi-wild cotton (following the bold line to the solid box), (B) perennial cropping for annual cotton cultivars left after the first year (following the solid line to the solid box), and (C) biannual cropping for annual cotton cultivars (following the solid line to the dotted box)

Figure 2. Two photos of ratoon cotton regrowing for a second lifecycle were taken in Nanning, Guangxi, China. Note that the ratoon cotton with lots of buds was cut at an approximate height of 45 cm in the left photo. Subsequently, the weaker buds were removed, leaving only about three stronger buds on each plant to grow in the right photo

Risch, S. J., D. Andow, and M. A. Altieri. 1983. “Agroecosystem Diversity and Pest Control: Data, Tentative Conclusions, and New Research Directions.” Environmental Entomology 12 (3): 625–629. doi:10.1093/ee/12.3.625.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Perdikis, D., A. Fantinou, and D. Lykouressis. 2011. “Enhancing Pest Control in Annual Crops by Conservation of Predatory Heteroptera.” Biological Control 59 (1): 13–21. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2011.03.014.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

DeHaan, L. R., D. L. Van Tassel, and T. S. Cox. 2005. “Perennial Grain Crops: A Synthesis of Ecology and Plant Breeding.” Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 20 (1): 5–14. doi:10.1079/RAF200496.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Zhang, X., Z. Zhang, Q. Wang, P. Chen, G. Chen, and R. Zhou. 2013. “Effects of Rootstocks on Cryotolerance and Overwintering Survivorship of Genic Male Sterile Lines in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).” PloS One 8 (5): e63534. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063534.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Luttrell, R. G., G. P. Fitt, F. S. Ramalho, and E. S. Sugonyaev. 1994. “Cotton Pest Management: Part 1. A Worldwide Perspective.” Annual Review of Entomology 39 (1): 517–526. doi:10.1146/annurev.en.39.010194.002505.

 Google Scholar

Khader, S. E. S. A., and A. H. Prakash. 2014. “Pruning Technique for Second Fruiting Cycle in Cotton Crop.” Cotton Research Journal 6 (1): 46–49.

 Google Scholar

Mubvekeri, W., J. Bare, C. Makaka, and F. Jimu. 2014. “Assessing the Diversity and Intensity of Pesticide Use in Communal Area Cotton Production in Zimbabwe.” Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment 6 (10): 342–348. doi:10.5897/jene2014.0476.

 Google Scholar

Macharia, J. 2013. Effect of Ratooning and Nitrogen Application on Lint Yield and Quality of Cotton Varieties in Central Kenya. Nairobi: University of Nairobi.

 Google Scholar

Zhang, X. J., F. L. Yue, X. H. Zhang, W. J. Li, and X. Q. Zhang. 2015a. “Research on Root Retention Reproduction Technique of Genetic Male-sterile Line in Cotton for Seed Production.” Seed Science and Technology 43 (2): 187–196. doi:10.15258/sst.2015.43.2.01.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Zhang, X. J., F. L. Yue, X. H. Zhang, R. Hou, X. Q. Zhang, and W. J. Li. 2015b. “Technical System of Hybrid Seed Production with Perennial Plants of Cotton Sterile Lines.” Acta Agronomica Sinica 41 (12): 1836–1843. doi:10.3724/SP.J.1006.2015.01836.

 Google Scholar

Evenson, J. P. 1970. “Ratooning of Cotton: A Review.” Cotton Growing Review 47 (1): 1–7.

 Google Scholar

Haughton, A. J., A. J. Bond, A. A. Lovett, T. Dockerty, G. Sünnenberg, S. J. Clark, D. A. Bohan, et al. 2009. “A Novel, Integrated Approach to Assessing Social, Economic and Environmental Implications of Changing Rural Land-use: A Case Study of Perennial Biomass Crops.” Journal of Applied Ecology 46 (2): 315–322. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01623.x.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Bunzel, K., M. Kattwinkel, M. Schauf, and D. Thrän. 2014. “Energy Crops and Pesticide Contamination: Lessons Learnt from the Development of Energy Crop Cultivation in Germany.” Biomass and Bioenergy 70: 416–428. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.08.016.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Fontes, E. M., F. D. S. Ramalho, E. Underwood, P. Bazrroso, M. F. Simon, E. R. Sujii, C. S. S. Pires, N. Beltrão, W. A. Lucena, and E. C. Freire. 2006. “The Cotton Agricultural Context in Brazil.” Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms 2: 21–66. doi:10.1079/9781845930004.0021.

 Google Scholar

Chen, G. P., X. Zhang, R. Y. Zhou, and H. T. Zhao. 2008. “Study on Economic Characteristics of Biennial and Annual Upland Cotton.” Guihaia 28 (5): 636–639. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-3142.2008.05.017.

 Google Scholar

Ramalho, F. S. 1994. “Cotton Pest Management: Part 4. A Brazilian Perspective.” Annual Review of Entomology 39 (1): 563–578. doi:10.1146/annurev.en.39.010194.003023.

 Google Scholar

Bergman, D. K. 1985. Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Overwintering in Arizona. Tucson: University of Arizona.

 Google Scholar

Showler, A. T. 2009. “Roles of Host Plants in Boll Weevil Range Expansion beyond Tropical Mesoamerica.” American Entomologist 55 (4): 234–242. doi:10.1093/ae/55.4.234.

 Google Scholar

Liu, J., X. Bian, Y. Li, W. Zhang, and S. Li. 2008. “Effects of Long-term Continuous Cropping of Cotton and Returning Cotton Stalk into Field on Soil Biological Activities.” The Journal of Applied Ecology 19 (5): 1027–1032.

 Google Scholar

Vukicevich, E., T. Lowery, P. Bowen, J. R. Úrbez-Torres, and M. Hart. 2016. “Cover Crops to Increase Soil Microbial Diversity and Mitigate Decline in Perennial Agriculture. A Review.” Agronomy for Sustainable Development 36 (3): 1–14. doi:10.1007/s13593-016-0385-7.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Zhang, X., R. Zhou, and X. Lou. 2008. “Investigation on Overwintering of Cotton Germplasm Resources in 2008 in Nanning of Guangxi.” Crops 26 (6): 74–76.

 Google Scholar

Chen, G. P., X. Zhang, R. Y. Zhou, and H. T. Zhao. 2010a. “The Effect of Varieties, Sowing Date and Perennial Cultivation on Survival Rate of Upland Cotton after Winter.” Acta Agriculturae Boreali-Occidentalis Sinica 18 (32): 9784–9788. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-1389.2010.12.011.

 Google Scholar

Bourgou, L., M. Sawadogo, D. Sanfo, and J. Lacape. 2017. “SSR-based Genetic Diversity of Traditional and Perennial Cotton (Gossypium spp.) Populations Collected in Burkina Faso.” Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 64 (7): 1743–1759. doi:10.1007/s10722-016-0470-4.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Chen, Z., C. E. Grover, P. Li, Y. Wang, H. Nie, Y. Zhao, M. Wang, et al. 2017. “Molecular Evolution of the Plastid Genome during Diversification of the Cotton Genus.” Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 112: 268–276. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.04.014.

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Viot, C. 2019. “Domestication and Varietal Diversification of Old World Cultivated Cottons (Gossypium sp.) In the Antiquity.” Revue d’ethnoécologie 15: 1–26. doi:10.4000/ethnoecologie.4404.

 Google Scholar

Gotmare, V., P. Singh, C. D. Mayee, V. Deshpande, and C. Bhagat. 2004. “Genetic Variability for Seed Oil Content and Seed Index in Some Wild Species and Perennial Races of Cotton.” Plant Breeding 123 (2): 207–208. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0523.2003.00914.x.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Hinze, L. L., D. D. Fang, M. A. Gore, B. E. Scheffler, J. Z. Yu, J. Frelichowski, R. G. Percy, et al. 2015. “Molecular Characterization of the Gossypium Diversity Reference Set of the US National Cotton Germplasm Collection.” Theoretical and Applied Genetics 128 (2): 313–327. doi:10.1007/s00122-014-2431-7.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

D’Eeckenbrugge, G. C., and J. M. Lacape. 2014. “Distribution and Differentiation of Wild, Feral, and Cultivated Populations of Perennial Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) In Mesoamerica and the Caribbean.” PloS One 9 (9): e107458. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107458.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Abdel-Salam, M. E., M. A. M. E. Negm, and C. S. Ardabb. 2009. The Egyptian Cotton, Current Constraints and Future Opportunities. Alexandria, 1–13. Egypt: Textile Industries Holding Co., Modern Press.

 Google Scholar

Okoduwa, A. I., and A. O. Odigie. 2008. “British Attempt at Developing Cotton as an Export Crop from Esan, Edo State, Nigeria, 1902–1925.” Studies of Tribes & Tribals 6 (1): 29–34. doi:10.1080/0972639X.2008.11886572.

 Google Scholar