Intensive cotton farming technologies in China: Achievements, challenges and countermeasures

•Intensive farming technologies have played crucial roles in improving cotton productivity in China.•Cotton intensive farming are facing increasing challenges from soil pollution and labor shortage.•The achievements, challenges, countermeasures and prospects for intensive cotton cultivation in China are reviewed.•Reform of the current intensive technology is the inevitable demand to support sustainable cotton production in China. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production in China has developed rapidly during the last 60 years. In 2012, the planting area and total output in the country were 5.3 million hectares and 7.62 million tons, respectively, and the unit yield was 85% higher than the world average. China currently accounts for about 30% of the world's cotton output with only 15% of the world's cotton land. Enhanced cotton production, particularly the high unit yield is largely due to adoption of a series of intensive farming technologies and cultural practices. The intensive farming technologies for cotton production in China mainly include seedling transplanting, plastic mulching, double cropping, plant training and super-high plant density technique, which have played important roles in promoting unit yield and total output. Although such intensive farming technologies meet the need of a growing population under limited arable land in China, they are labor-intensive and involve large input of various kinds of chemical products like fertilizers, pesticides, and plastic films. Thus, there are increasing challenges from soil pollution and labor shortage. Here, the achievements, challenges, countermeasures and prospects for intensive cotton cultivation in China are reviewed. An important conclusion from this review is that the establishment of a new farming technology through reform of the current intensive technology is inevitable to support sustainable cotton production in the nation. A series of comprehensive countermeasures should be taken to reduce soil pollution through rational use of plastic film and chemicals, labor saving through simplifying field managements and mechanization and increasing benefits by reforming the cropping system and management mode. China's cotton production would be sustainable with a bright prospect if supported by new farming technologies.