Boosting Yields! Technology Empowers Tens of Thousands of Acres of Cotton Fields to Improve Quality and Efficiency

The world looks to China for cotton, and China looks to Xinjiang. At present, tens of thousands of acres of cotton fields in Shawan City, Xinjiang, have entered the harvest season. On September 26, the “Shawan City 2025 Green Yield-Increase Demonstration Project Using Microbial Agents — Field Observation and Exchange Meeting,” jointly hosted by the Shawan Municipal People’s Government and BGI Bioverse, was successfully held. The event comprehensively showcased the tangible results of microbial technologies in enhancing cotton quality and yield while promoting green development.

Experts from the Shawan Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Cotton Research Institute of the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Reclamation Sciences, the Cotton Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the Western Agricultural Research Center—together with the BGI Bioverse team, local planting enterprises, and farmers—visited the fields to witness the entire yield-measurement process. In the demonstration plots, cotton plants showed uniform growth with numerous, well-filled bolls, presenting a vivid picture of a bountiful harvest.

On-site yield assessment data showed that cotton fields treated with BGI Bioverse’s “Huayi” microbial agent achieved an increase of 43–46 kg per mu compared with control plots, representing a yield increase of 9.6%–10.47%. Based on current market prices, the demonstration plots generated an additional income of over RMB 300 per mu, delivering tangible benefits to farmers and achieving a comprehensive outcome of both ecological and economic gains.

The “Huayi” microbial agent is formulated by compounding multiple high-activity microbial strains. It enhances cotton stress resistance, promotes nutrient absorption and utilization, and, through highly active antimicrobial peptides, strengthens crop disease resistance. At the same time, it effectively improves the soil micro-ecosystem, reduces the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and enhances cotton quality while ensuring stable yields.

“After using BGI Bioverse’s ‘Huayi’ microbial agent in our cooperative this year, the overall growth of cotton has been noticeably better than that of conventional plots. There are fewer diseases, almost no premature senescence in the later stages, and we expect a very promising yield,” said a participating grower during the field observation.

In 2025, with the support of the Shawan Municipal Party Committee and Government, BGI Bioverse conducted ten-thousand-mu-scale trials with five local cotton cooperatives, successfully applying its independently developed “Huayi” microbial agent. The initiative aims to meet core needs in cotton production such as reduced fertilizer and pesticide use, disease resistance and seedling protection, and improved quality and efficiency, injecting new technological vitality into traditional cotton cultivation.

Han Zhenji, Party Branch Secretary and Director of the Technical Extension Center of the Shawan Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, noted: “The application of microbial technology is an important measure for advancing the green transformation of the cotton industry. Increasing cotton yield cannot rely solely on traditional models—introducing new technologies and services is a key support. This not only promotes quality and efficiency improvements in the cotton industry, but also helps farmers reduce costs and increase income in a practical way.”

Wang Yayu, Director of the Micro-Ecology Project at BGI Bioverse, stated during the exchange session: “We hope to provide more sustainable nutritional solutions for Xinjiang’s cotton industry through biotechnology and microbial technologies. The ‘Huayi’ microbial agent is just the beginning. We will continue to optimize product performance and further promote innovations and applications such as soil health monitoring and other green agricultural technologies, providing stronger technological support for the sustainable development of the cotton industry.”

This observation and exchange meeting was not only a concentrated review of the application effectiveness of microbial agents in cotton production, but also an important step toward driving the cotton industry toward a more technology-driven and green future. The collaborative innovation model involving government, enterprises, research institutions, and farmers is sowing the seeds of high-quality green development across the cotton fields of Shawan.