Aiming at the existing direct seeding equipment in the cotton area of the Yangtze River Basin, which has poor imitation effect, low seeding depth qualification index, and unsatisfactory consistency of seeding depth, an independent imitation cotton direct seeding machine was designed. The discrete element method and multi-body dynamics coupling method were used to simulate and analyze the operation process of imitation furrowing, and the key structure and working parameters affecting the depth of seeding furrow were determined. A one-factor quadratic orthogonal rotational combination test was conducted with the qualified index of furrowing depth and the coefficient of variation of furrowing depth consistency as evaluation indexes, and the optimal parameter combinations were determined to be the spring stiffness of 15 N/ mm and the operating speed of 0.8 m / s. Under the conditions of optimal parameter combinations, the qualified index of furrowing depth was 86.7% and the coefficient of variation of furrowing depth consistency was 11.6% . The results of field test under the optimal parameter combination showed that the qualified index of furrowing depth was 84% , the coefficient of variation of furrowing depth consistency was 12.80% , and the relative errors of field and simulation of qualified index of furrowing depth and coefficient of variation of furrowing depth consistency were 3.21% and 9.38% . Optimized parameter combinations and other combinations of field test results were as follows: open furrow depth qualified index was increased by not less than 6 percentage points, open furrow depth consistency coefficient of variation was decreased by not less than 1.69 percentage points, and the field emergence effect can meet the requirements of the Yangtze River Basin cotton area live operation.