Transforming Cotton Sustainability: Carbon and Water Co-Benefits from Optimized Field Management and Straw Utilization Strategies

Reducing the environmental burden of agricultural production is a major global challenge. While cotton supports essential aspects of human lifestyles, its cultivation results in substantial carbon emissions and water consumption, and sustainable production strategies remain insufficiently understood. Long-term survey data reveal that cotton production in China functions as a weak carbon sink during cultivation stage. We show that integrating optimized field management with comprehensive straw utilization can sharply improve carbon sequestration potential and reduce water consumption, while mitigating profit declines associated with the so-called "medium-scale trap". These findings are critical for alleviating the environmental footprint of cotton producing and provide valuable insights for promoting global cotton sustainability while aligning environmental goals with farmers' profits.