Ratooning ability is one of the major different traits from perennial to cultivated rice and annual type. We developed a set of 126 introgression lines derived from a cross between Hwayeong and W1944 (O. rufipogon) to gain an insight into the genetic factors underlying differences between common wild rice and cultivated rice. One IL, CR6 among the 126 ILs of $BC_3F_4$ showed a significant difference in rationing ability compared with Hwayeong. To further characterize the rationing ability, CR6 was selected and crossed to Hwayeong to produce three secondary populations, $BC_4F_2$, $BC_4F_3$ and $BC_5F_2$. In the Hwayeong background, the W1944 allele was associated with an increase in rationing ability. QTL analysis showed that the qRAT5 for rationing ability was linked to RM194 ($R^2$=6.6%, 19.6%, and 44.5% in the $BC_4F_2$, $BC_5F_2$, and $BC_5F_3$, respectively). The putative qRAT5 was also tightly linked to QTLs for spikelets per panicle and grain weight indicating that this region harbors a QTL cluster related to domestication. To our knowledge, this is the first report to map the major QTL for ratooning ability in rice. The SSR markers linked to qRAT5 would be useful in marker-assisted selection for breeding lines with enhanced ratooning ability.