In China’s top cotton-growing region, Xinjiang, the path to full mechanization begins with a seed.
Xinjiang, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the country’s cotton output, has surpassed a 97 percent mechanization rate in cotton farming.
This was achieved in large part through the use of robotics, such as the one jointly developed by Xinjiang University and EAVision Robotic Technologies (EAVision).
The achievement is rooted in advances in seed technology – including AI-assisted breeding, biotechnology, and gene editing – which are helping scientists and agronomists develop varieties optimized for machine harvesting.
Luo Cheng, head of the R&D center at a Xinjiang-based seed company, says: “In 2024, we sold over 2,200 tonnes of cotton seeds domestically, all for mechanical harvesting, covering 1.22 million mu (about 81,333 hectares).”
The company has produced six seed varieties specifically designed for machine harvesting. “Our seeds are also very popular abroad. Last year, our overseas sales reached 930 tonnes,” Luo adds.
Local farmers are already seeing results. “Older varieties had loose plant structures and uneven maturity, making mechanical harvesting inefficient,” said Tahir Peyzulla, a cotton grower in Luntai County.
“But since we started using the new variety in 2016, the efficiency of mechanical harvesting have improved significantly,” he says. This year, he expects a harvest of around 500 kilograms per mu.
Challenges with traditional cotton plants – including fragile fibers and scattered boll development – have long hindered mechanical efficiency. But researchers say that’s changing.
“After more than a decade of research, we’ve achieved a technological breakthrough in mechanical harvesting varieties,” says Jiang Hui, general manager of the cotton research institute at another seed company.
“We’ve developed new varieties with compact plant structures, concentrated boll opening and easy detachment of boll stalks, using molecular breeding and gene editing.
“These new varieties have significantly improved the efficiency of cotton pickers, with a one-time harvest rate surpassing 90 percent.”
Liu Tao, deputy director of the agricultural mechanization management office under the regional agriculture and rural affairs department, said that work begins with selecting seeds suitable for machine farming.
“From the very start – selection of seeds suitable for mechanized farming, we are laying the foundation for full mechanization of cotton production,” Liu says.
Xinjiang produced nearly 5.69 million tonnes of cotton in 2024, a record high and 92.2 percent of the national total, according to official data.
Progress has also extended to long-staple cotton – often called the “king of cotton” for its silky luster and soft texture.
Traditionally difficult to machine-harvest due to its low-growing fruit branches, long-staple cotton had to be picked by hand. Mechanical harvesting requires fruiting branches at least 15 centimeters above the ground – previous varieties had just 9 cm.
That changed with the development of the “Xin 78” variety by the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences. “Xin 78” reached full mechanization in 2021 with a yield of 511.5 kg per mu and has become the region’s leading long-staple variety.
The new cultivar not only extends node-height to 17 cm but also resolves earlier drawbacks like small cotton bolls, large leaves, and poor defoliant response.
“These issues may affect output,” says Tian Liwen, a researcher at the academy’s institute of economic crops.
For growers like Tursuniyaz Turek in Awat County, the transformation is personal. Despite the summer heat, he continues his daily walk through the fields – now more of a tradition than necessity.
“These days it’s more about taking a look than actual work,” he says, brushing a hand along the thriving plants.
“With the new cultivars, machines take care of almost everything from plant management to harvesting. My role has become more about supervision than sweat,” he said.
