ratoon
/ræˈtuːn/
verb
- To produce new shoots from the root or stump after the main growth has been cut.
- The farmer decided to let the banana plants ratoon rather than plant new ones.
- If you cut the grass short, it will ratoon quickly in warm weather.
- The sugarcane field will ratoon for two or three years before the soil needs rest.
noun
- A new shoot or sprout that grows from the root or stump of a plant after the main stem has been cut, especially in crops like sugarcane or banana.
- Each ratoon from the old rice plant produced a smaller but still usable crop.
- After harvesting the sugarcane, farmers let the ratoon grow for the next season.
- The banana plantation relies on ratoons to produce fruit without replanting.