Cotton Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.2, 95-106 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/cgg 95 Research Insight Open Access Research on Post-Harvest Management Technology to Improve Cotton Quality ZhenLi Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China Corresponding email: zhen.li@hibio.org Cotton Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol.16, No.2 doi: 10.5376/cgg.2025.16.0010 Received: 13 Feb., 2025 Accepted: 25 Mar., 2025 Published: 16 Apr., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Li Z., 2025, Research on post-harvest management technology to improve cotton quality, Cotton Genomics and Genetics, 16(2): 95-106 (doi: 10.5376/cgg.2025.16.0010) Abstract Cotton is an important cash crop worldwide, and its production is related to the livelihoods of millions of farmers. However, cotton quality faces many challenges in the post-harvest stage, such as increased impurities due to improper harvesting methods and fiber deterioration caused by poor storage. This study focuses on improving cotton quality through post-harvest management technology. It systematically analyzes the key factors affecting cotton post-harvest quality, including harvesting time and methods, field processing and transportation, storage conditions, etc.; reviews advanced post-harvest processing technologies, such as cotton ginning process innovation, fiber grading and sorting, and moisture control methods; explores new technologies for cotton quality assessment and monitoring, including fiber quality parameter testing, digital monitoring, traceability systems, and quality certification mechanisms; evaluates the sustainability and economic impact of post-harvest technology, and analyzes it from the aspects of cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and social effects; and takes Xinjiang as a case to introduce regional challenges, technology introduction, and its effectiveness. Finally, the future development direction of cotton post-harvest management technology is prospected, such as digital intelligent system integration, localized customization, and policy and institutional support. This study aims to provide a reference for improving cotton quality and value and promote the high-quality development of the cotton industry chain. Keywords Cotton; Post-harvest management; Quality improvement; Ginning technology; Quality monitoring 1 Introduction Cotton plays an important role in the global agricultural economy. According to statistics, the cotton industry is related to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and families in 80 countries on five continents around the world (Khan et al., 2020). Cotton is also an important source of foreign exchange for many low- and middle-income countries. China is the world's major cotton producer and consumer, with Xinjiang's cotton production accounting for more than 90% of the country's total and about 20% of the world's total (Feng et al., 2024). High-quality cotton fiber not only directly determines the quality of textiles, but also affects farmers' income and the competitiveness of the textile industry. However, cotton is easily affected by a variety of factors during post-harvest processing, transportation and storage, resulting in quality degradation (Salimov et al., 2022). The main challenges faced by cotton after harvesting include: improper harvesting time and method may lead to impurities and fiber damage. For example, although mechanical harvesting improves efficiency, it is often accompanied by a high impurity content (Kazama et al., 2015); if the field processing and transportation are not well managed, cotton will be exposed to rain or moisture, which will cause the fiber to mold and turn yellow, forming "moldy cotton" (Anthony, 2003); improper storage conditions will cause the cotton pile to heat up and the fiber strength to decrease. Long-term storage of cotton may also cause fermentation due to excessive moisture content (Jaime et al., 2013). In the face of these problems, how to maintain and improve the quality of cotton fiber by improving post-harvest management technology has become an urgent issue to be solved. The goal of this study is to review and analyze post-harvest management technology to improve cotton quality. The research content covers eight aspects, including factors affecting cotton post-harvest quality, post-harvest processing technology, quality assessment and monitoring technology, sustainability and economy of technology, as well as case analysis and future development direction in Xinjiang. By combing through relevant research and practical results at home and abroad in the past five years, this study aims to propose effective strategies to
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