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In a recent seminar hosted by the Agricultural Mechanization Management Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, experts and officials from multiple provinces gathered in Hubei to discuss the development strategy for rapeseed production mechanization. Before the meeting, a live demonstration of advanced rapeseed harvesting technology was conducted at the 10th group of Majiatai Village, Qianjiang City. Notable attendees included scholars such as Wang Yihua and Zeng Dechao from China Agricultural University, Jiang Yiyuan from Northeast Agricultural University, Guan Chunyun from Hunan Agricultural University, and Fu Tingdong from Huazhong Agricultural University, along with representatives from agricultural machinery departments across eight provinces, including Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Sichuan.
During the on-site demonstration, three different types of harvesters were used to showcase the progress in rapeseed mechanization. One was the Futian 4LZ-2.0 harvester, designed for staged harvesting, operated manually by an agricultural worker who guided it through the field while seven others collected the cut rapeseed and fed it into the machine for threshing. The other two machines, the Woer 4LZ-2.0 and the Huzhou 4LZ-200, were modified rice and wheat combine harvesters adapted for rapeseed. These units performed multiple tasks—harvesting, threshing, and cleaning—in one go. In less than 20 minutes, the three machines successfully harvested 0.33 hectares of mature rapeseed.
Compared to traditional manual harvesting, which typically results in a loss rate of 15%, mechanized harvesting reduces this to 8–10%. Moreover, the efficiency of a single combine harvester is equivalent to that of 45–50 laborers, significantly improving productivity and reducing labor costs.
Hubei has long been a major producer of rapeseed, with an area of 1.178 million hectares in 2005, yielding over 2 million tons. This accounted for about one-sixth of the national total and one-eighteenth of the global output. Rapeseed has become a key economic crop in the province, particularly with the rise of “double-low†varieties—those with low erucic acid and low glucosinolates. These improvements have transformed the quality of vegetable oil and cake, making them more suitable for human consumption and animal feed.
Since 2001, Hubei has focused on mechanizing the entire rapeseed production process, from sowing to harvesting. Cities like Tianmen and Jingmen have experimented with segmented harvesting methods, involving manual cutting, drying, and then using modified combine harvesters for threshing and cleaning. Qianjiang City pioneered a one-step approach, combining harvesting, threshing, and cleaning in a single operation. The province aims to build mechanized demonstration zones in 28 key counties during the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan," targeting a 50% mechanization rate in selected areas.
Academician Wang Yihua praised Hubei’s efforts, noting that the province has made significant strides in improving labor efficiency and reducing costs. He expressed optimism about the future of full-process mechanization in rapeseed production, especially in the Yangtze River basin. Academician Fu Tingdong highlighted challenges in both seeding and harvesting, such as seed size, soil conditions, and pod shattering. He proposed improvements in variety traits, such as semi-dwarf plants, compact growth, and reduced pod splitting, to better suit mechanized operations.
Through continued innovation and collaboration between researchers, farmers, and industry leaders, Hubei is paving the way for a more efficient and sustainable rapeseed production system.
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