Twenty-five green crop circles, each 800 meters in diameter, have appeared in Kunyu City on the southern edge of China's Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang. Center-pivot irrigation machines operate the circular wheat fields automatically, resembling giant clock faces from above. The system has replaced ineffective drip irrigation, cutting labor needs and improving crop growth.
In Kunyu City, the crop circles use center-pivot irrigation systems with arms over 380 meters long, fitted with sprinklers that evenly distribute water and fertilizer. Alfalfa lines the outer edges as protective barriers, while oats and wheat are intercropped inside. Alfalfa stabilizes sand and improves soil, and oats provide quick cover to shield seedlings, together fostering a stable ecosystem.
Li Daoqing, administrator of the planting base, said: "Watering and fertilizing are handled by the pivot irrigators, and field inspections are done with drones. I spend much less time in the fields, yet the crops are growing even better."
One rotation takes about nine hours initially, extending to 36 hours later as fertilization decreases. The highly automated setup requires just a button press and reduces labor from 30 to four people.
In 2024, the site was covered in sand dunes, and drip irrigation failed due to sandstorms burying seedlings with scant yields, according to Cui Gangchuang, director of the base. After studying practices in nearby Hotan Prefecture, they adopted center-pivot systems. Cui explained: "The rotating sprinklers keep the soil moist, so when sandstorms blow in, the wet soil along the edges causes the sand to settle quickly. We may lose a few seedlings on the outer rim, but the vast majority inside the circle are protected."
The mist also washes dust from plants, boosts air humidity, and enhances photosynthesis by improving the local microclimate. Operators say the project demonstrates irrigation technology's role in arid agriculture, potentially offering a model for other dry regions.