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Seedling establishment is critical for grain yield and net benefits of wheat in wet clay soil after puddled rice harvest in the Yangtze River basin (YRB) of China. A wet-resistant rotary strip-till seeder (WR seeder) was developed to drill seeds in zero tillage (ZT) conditions with complete rice residue mulching. The rotary blades adopted were medium radius C type blades creating a 50–60 mm wide and 30–50 mm deep furrow for seed placement. The pressing roller, usually used in the traditional wheat seeders, has been replaced by two ground wheels covered in rubber to reduce the mud adhesion. Moreover, a stainless-steel chain was installed behind the machine for better seed covering with soil. Based on three-year long field comparisons with the traditional deep tillage seeder (DT seeder) and a rototiller disc-type seeder with shallow tillage (SHT seeder), the six-row WR seeder significantly enhanced seedling establishment, and reduced energy consumption by 51.3% and 24.5%, respectively. The WR seeder also conserved the topsoil moisture. Over three years, the WR seeder produced similar grain yield to the SHT seeder, but 3.1% more than the DT seeder. Moreover, the net profit with WR seeder increased by 39.4% and 0.9% compared to the DT and SHT seeders, respectively. Furthermore, comparisons across the YRB also confirmed the positive effects of the WR seeder on grain yield and economic benefits over the conventional seeding practices. Thus, it was demonstrated that the improved seeder is an optimal option to enhance the RW system productivity in the YRB. • A strip-till seeder was developed for wheat sowing in wet clay fields. • Yield superiority and energy efficiency with the improved seeder were demonstrated. • The wheat yield increase resulted from the large increase in fertile spikes. • Effective residue management enhances the seeder performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]