New farm machines safeguard rapeseed harvest
2026-05-11 19:05:53
By Zhao Entao
At present, 1.45 million mu (about 96,700 hectares) of rapeseed in Yichang are gradually entering the harvest period. Farmers are accelerating the harvest to make the most of the clear weather. This year, a number of new, highly efficient, low-loss agricultural machines are operating at full capacity in the fields.
At present, 1.45 million mu (about 96,700 hectares) of rapeseed in Yichang are gradually entering the harvest period. Farmers are accelerating the harvest to make the most of the clear weather. This year, a number of new, highly efficient, low-loss agricultural machines are operating at full capacity in the fields.
A farm machine harvests rapeseed. Photo by Huang Xiang
A rapeseed demonstration base in Dangyang has adopted a combination of two-stage harvesting and a new type of grain header. This approach gives the plants sufficient time to dry, lowers moisture content at harvest, improves oil quality, and reduces the machine harvest loss rate from 20 percent to below 8 percent.
The new methods have also improved efficiency. At a cooperative in Yiling District, three machines working together can harvest more than 200 mu in a single day, equivalent to the daily work of more than 300 people in the past. The cooperative uses a mix of two-stage and direct harvesting, and its rapeseed output this year is expected to reach 160 to 170 tons.
Upgrades in both equipment and technology have been crucial to achieving highly efficient, low loss harvesting. New rapeseed harvesters introduced this year incorporate technological improvements that have significantly reduced harvest losses. It is estimated that the new machines can cut losses by 20 jin (about 10 kilograms) per mu.
Post‑harvest drying also plays an important role in reducing losses. Across the city, 82 grain drying centers have been established, equipped with more than 260 dryers and a daily grain drying capacity of 16,000 tons. In the past, rapeseed with high moisture content could easily sprout or become moldy if not dried in time. Today, the use of drying machines has greatly improved the situation.
The promotion of techniques such as timely harvesting, two-stage harvesting, and dry harvesting is expected to further minimize harvest losses. According to local agricultural authorities, more than 2,000 harvesters of various types have been deployed to support the rapeseed harvest.
Zhou Chongyu, Jie Xingwei and Fang Zixuan also contributed to this story
