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Among all industrial crops, spinning crops stand out. Of course, the primacy in their cultivation belongs to large specialized farms, but little by little the owners of large plots are "catching up" to them. Many people are interested in the process of getting cotton. Let's find out more about what cotton is and what care for it looks like.

Short description

This is the general name for a biological genus that unites more than 50 plant species. Their spread began simultaneously from two centers - India and America.

All representatives of this culture are one- or two-year-olds. They can reach a height of 2 m.The core rhizome is well developed, extending to a depth of more than 30 cm.

On the lignified stem from below, lateral branches (8–15) start up during growth. The branches are divided into growth and fruit... The first ones are located at the bottom of the stem and are launched at an acute angle. Fruit grows higher than them, the angle of inclination is smaller. It is on them that fruit pods are formed after the flowers appear.
Leaves in the form of 3 or 5 lobes are strictly alternate, oblong petioles are visible on them. In early varieties, fruit branches grow from the axils of 3-4 leaves, while in later varieties they appear on 5-7 leaves in a row.

Important! Cotton is very thermophilic. Seeds germinate most quickly at + 22 ° С ... + 24 ° С, while for normal budding and flowering, you need + 25 ° С ... + 30 ° С.

Large single flowers of different colors (most often white or yellow) have a corolla of 3-5 petals and a double toothed cup, around which a large three-lobed wrapper is launched. In July-September, you can see how the flowers open in the morning, and closer to lunchtime they turn red a little (you can see how effectively cotton blooms in the photo).
After the color changes to purple, the flowers dry and fall off. In September-October, box-shaped fruits of an oval or round shape ripen. There can be up to 200 such fruits on one bush.

When ripe, the box cracks and crumbles, 5–10 oval seeds fall out of it, covered with fibers 5–45 mm long. From one box remove from 2 to 10 g of raw.

In agricultural turnover, the most important are four types of cotton:

  • ordinary (aka Mexican);
  • Peruvian;
  • tree-like;
  • grassy.

 The choice of the variety depends on the conditions of the area where the particular type of cotton is grown. In the European part, Transcaucasia and Central Asia, an ordinary line with a high stem and short fibers is traditionally cultivated. The rest of the species for our latitudes are considered.

Did you know?Genetically modified varieties are not only bred, but also actively cultivated. For example, in Australia, their share in crops is more than 80%, and farmers reached this milestone back in 2004.

Place in the crop rotation

The key to a good harvest is the use of c. This culture improves composition, helps to accumulate. After planting, the soil becomes good, air circulation in the upper layer is normalized.

A similar "multifield" looks like this: 6-7 fields for cotton "prepare" 2-3 alfalfa massifs. If alfalfa is not planted, it's okay: any grains and crops are considered good predecessors on the site. This also applies to s.

Preparatory work

Before sowing, it is worth learning more about where, on what kind of cotton it grows best.

Soil preparation

Such activities boil down to the following actions:

  • In late August – early September, the area allotted for sowing is plowed. This is done after harvesting alfalfa. At the same time, the plow is deepened slightly, by 5-6 (on heavy soils - up to 10) cm. This is necessary to remove the remaining seeds and.
  • This is followed by the main fall plowing. The plowshares of a double-deck plow are set to a depth of 40 cm.
  • Processing can be applied in parallel with plowing. The method of burning out and its rhizomes is rarely used.
  • The salted one is additionally washed and loosened again (with a plow or cultivator).
  • The spring cycle begins with two tracks. In regions with mild weather, it is made in the second decade of February.
  • Weak soil is fed with subsequent plowing of the plow.
  • The final stage is the cultivator “pass” at a depth of 5–8 cm.

Many farmers use winter watering to compact the soil. After such moistening in the spring (even before harrowing), chisel-harrowing must be done. This is a technique of non-moldboard plowing to a depth of 8-15 cm, followed by a harrow.

Seed preparation

We use high-quality, conditional seed material collected for. Only zoned varieties give a stable harvest - "exotics" take root with difficulty.

The workpieces are pretreated mechanically or chemically. The first is to remove the underpinnings (partial or complete). "Chemistry" is reduced to etching with vapors of hydrochloric or sulfuric acids.

Did you know?Cotton came to Europe quite late - the Greeks were the first to try it in 350 BC. In India, the cultivation of a useful plant began as early as the 7th century BC, although the Egyptians are considered the discoverers, who mastered its processing already in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC.

Air heating is also important:

  • The seeds are kept in the air for 20-30 days.
  • For disinfection, take copper trichlorophenolate or 65% fentiuram (no more than 12 kg / 1 ton).
  • Before sowing, they are soaked in water for 9-10 hours. This technique is often replaced by moisturizing (3 treatments at intervals of 8-12 hours). At the same time, 500-600 liters of water are consumed per ton of material.

When the preparations are over, you need to wait for the heat and start sowing.

Sowing seeds

The optimum soil temperature for successful sowing is at least + 12 ° C ... + 14 ° C. There is no need to rush - in unheated soil, the seeds will simply die.

The seeding pattern depends on the chosen method, but in any case the row spacing is made no less than 60 cm. Here are examples of such schemes:

  • 60x25 (ideal for dotted pattern);
  • 60x45 for rectangular-nested;
  • 60x60 with a square-nesting technique;
  • wide-row crops are also used at the rate of 90x15 (the "step" can be increased to 20 or 30 cm).

2-3 achenes are placed in the hole, the depth of planting for ordinary gray soils is 4-5 cm (on meadow or marsh soils they are taken smaller: 3-4 cm).

The consumption rate depends on the chosen method, but it is selected so as to exclude thinning during the period of plant growth. This figure can range from 40 to 70 kg / ha. Bare seeds are required much less than pubescent ones - for example, 40–42 kg of “clean” hemicarps are needed per hectare, while “fluffy” seeds are needed for the same area at least 60 kg. Plant density - from 80 to 120 thousand / ha.
Rows are immediately treated with 80% cotoran. In 100 liters of water (hectare rate) add 1.5-3.5 kg of this agent, and the resulting mixture is sprayed with a wide (30 cm) strip.

Crop care

With sowing, everything is clear, now is the time to see how the already "accepted" cotton grows and what care of it boils down to.

Watering moderate required, both conventional and overhead irrigation are suitable. For normal root growth, 2 are made: the first when 3-5 leaves appear, and the second after 20-25 days, at the budding phase. Flowering and the emergence of fruits require more careful: 6-7 "cubes" per 1 "weave" of plantings. The last moistening is done no later than 5-7 days before the leaves fall.

Did you know?After examining fabrics taken from the tombs of the pharaohs, experts found that their density is 500 threads per inch. That is, they are denser than modern textiles (350 n / inch)!

Equally important and cultivation, which is done in several stages per season:

  • The first - to a depth of 8–10 cm (as soon as the seedlings appeared).
  • The next "run" before the first watering.
  • As the soil dries up after watering.

For the passage in the middle of the row spacing, set 12-15 cm, at the nests - the same 8-10 cm.
Almost any coating is suitable for. Preferred, of course. The most popular natural shelter remains the spit. It retains moisture perfectly, but it also has a drawback - a large consumption (25 kg per "weaving" of crops). For small areas, straw is suitable, but farmers usually avoid cuttings because of the risk of pests.

Fight against also includes treatment with herbicide compositions. When choosing such products, it is worth considering the age of the plants, the phase of its growth and weather conditions.

The same applies to pests... Scoops and, and moths are not always sensitive to weak solutions, while a strong one has a bad effect on the plants themselves and the soil. Whenever possible, such treatments are avoided. The timely destruction of heavily affected bushes also helps.

Fertilization

The cotton plant needs additional feeding and responds well if it is introduced correctly. Here are the basic steps for seasonal replenishment:

  • Application under the fall (at least 15 tons per hectare). It is often replaced at the same dosage. Be sure to add phosphorus oxide (20 kg) and (55-60 kg). Such treatment is especially effective on weak soils or with grain predecessors.
  • The first vegetative top dressing occurs during the leaf growth phase. Nitrogen is placed 15–17 cm from the row and below 2–4 cm from the irrigation hole (35–50 kg / ha).
  • During budding,

Cotton is a thermophilic plant that is cultivated mainly in subtropical and tropical climates. To get good yields of raw cotton, farmers have to comply with many agrotechnical conditions and requirements.

Description of cotton

Cotton is a whole botanical series from the Malvov family, which includes about 50 species of plants, woody and herbaceous, annuals and perennials. Cotton plants that serve as raw materials for the textile industry are annual or biennial herbaceous plants.

Features of cultivated cotton:

  • Root. Core root system. The root can be up to 3 meters long.
  • Stem. Ramified. Reaches a height of 2 m.
  • Leaves. Arranged alternately, attached with petioles. They have a lobed shape - on each leaf there are from 3 to 5 lobes. They look like maple trees.
  • Flowers. Yellow, white or red, with 3-5 petals.

When a plant blooms, it is covered with flowers. When flowering is complete, an unusual fruit appears in place of each flower - a round or oval box. Cotton seeds ripen inside this "box".

When the seeds are ripe, the capsule bursts and, opening, reveals a white fibrous mass, in which the seeds of the plant are hidden. This white mass is called cotton. It consists of short and long hairs. The first ones are fuzzy, the second ones are fluffy.

Story

People began to use the fruits of cotton many centuries ago. This is evidenced by archaeological excavations. The first to use cotton were in India. Here archaeologists have found materials and tools with which cotton raw materials were processed.

A little later, cotton began to be grown in Greece, in the countries of the Middle East. China, Persia, Mexico, Peru - in all these countries cotton began to be cultivated several millennia BC.

The British were the first in Europe to produce cotton fabrics. The first cotton processing machines appeared here in the 1770s.

Statistics say that every earthling consumes 7 kg of cotton annually.

Thanks to the development of technology, cotton production has become cheaper, and the range of fabrics has expanded. The range of cotton products includes dozens of fabrics - coarse calico, pique, gauze, cambric, poplin and many others.

What types and varieties are there?

Botanists have long failed to classify the numerous representatives of the Cotton family. There are many species, and most of them are very variable under the influence of external factors. And most importantly, cotton plants are easily re-pollinated, resulting in hybrids.

Agriculture today uses the following types of cotton:

  • Grassy. An annual plant. Distribution area - Central and Southeast Asia, Transcaucasia. The shortest and most persistent species. Better than others, it transfers the advancement to the north. Coarse and short cotton is obtained from grassy cotton; it is also called woolly.
  • Indochinese. A tree-like perennial plant. The tallest species. Its height can reach 6 m. Unlike other species, it has red flowers, not yellow ones. But the color of the resulting cotton is yellow. Habitat - tropical regions.
  • Peruvian. Produces the longest and highest quality fiber. At first it was a perennial plant, but after selection it became an annual. It is grown only in Egypt and on the southeastern coast of the United States.
  • Ordinary. Received the greatest distribution. It is grown wherever the climate permits. It is an annual plant with white flowers. The resulting fiber is of average quality.

The varieties that have become widespread in Central Asia are Tashkent-6, Andijon-35, Regar-34, Dashoguz-11 and others.

Growing requirements

When growing cotton, take into account its requirements for the following factors:

  1. Sowing time. Cotton seeds should be sown as early as possible - no later than February. If you delay, the plant will bloom too late, the pods will ripen only in late autumn.
  2. Temperature. All types of cultivated cotton are extremely thermophilic. Seed germination begins at a temperature of 10-12 ° C. The optimum temperature is 25-30 ° C. The plant dies in case of frost at 1-2 ° C. Moreover, death can occur both in the spring - at the beginning of the growing season, and in the autumn.
  3. Moisture. Cotton plants tolerate drought well due to their developed root system. The plant grows without moisture, but there is no need to talk about high yields. Cotton needs irrigation. If there is not enough moisture, the boxes fall to the ground.
  4. Light. The plant is light-loving.
  5. The soil. Prefers sierozem, alkaline-boggy soils and saline soils.
  6. Nutrients. The plant is very demanding in terms of fertilization. To give 30-35 centners of raw material per hectare, cotton takes 46 kg of nitrogen, 18 kg of potassium and 16 kg of phosphorus from the soil.

The growing season of cotton grown in Central Asia is about 140 days. And the boxes themselves ripen on the plant for 50 days.

Crop rotation

The best precursor for cotton is alfalfa. This culture promotes the accumulation of humus, enriches the soil with nitrogen and other useful substances, and reduces the level of salts. Thanks to the planting of alfalfa, the drainage characteristics of the soil are improved, the air circulates more actively in its upper layer.

Nursery data show that alfalfa can increase yields by 50%. Moreover, high yields are maintained for 2-3 years after alfalfa planting.

A multi-field system looks something like this. Of 6-7 fields prepared for planting cotton, they are allowed to grow alfalfa. In addition to alfalfa, it is recommended to plant before cotton:

  • corn for silage and green fodder;
  • sugar beet;
  • any legumes and grains.

Soil preparation

Soil preparation for cotton is reduced to the following activities:

  1. Peeling the soil after harvesting alfalfa. The deadline is late August-early September. The deepening of the plow is small - only 5-6 cm, if the soil is heavy - by 10 cm. It is necessary to peel the soil to remove weeds and seeds.
  2. Fall plowing. The plowshares of a two-tier plow are used to cultivate the soil 40 cm deep.
  3. Simultaneously with plowing, herbicides can be applied. The technique in which the weed is burned out together with the rhizome is rarely used.
  4. Saline soil flushing. Saline soils must be loosened again - with a cultivator or plow.
  5. Two-track harrowing. Spring work begins with this event. In areas with a mild climate, harrowing begins in the second decade of February.
  6. Manure application. This is necessary for weak soils. After application - plowing.
  7. Cultivation to a depth of 5-8 cm- this is the final stage of soil preparation.

Cotton plants need a lot of nutrients. If it has been grown for many years in the same field, it is necessary to apply fertilizers:

  • nitrogen - 140-160 kg / ha;
  • phosphoric - 80-100 kg / ha;
  • potash - 30-50 kg / ha.

If cotton is sown after alfalfa, then in the first 2 years of nitrogen fertilizers can be applied less - only 50-70 kg / ha.

Such events give a good effect:

  • Parallel application of mineral and organic fertilizers.
  • Stubble crops of "green fertilizers" - after that cotton harvests grow by 6-7 c / ha.
  • Granular superphosphate or nitrophoska - 100 kg / ha.

Seed preparation

For sowing, only high-quality, conditioned seeds are used, collected before the onset of frost. To get stable yields, only zoned cotton should be planted.

Seeds for planting are subjected to mechanical or chemical treatment. The backing is mechanically removed - in whole or in part. The chemical method involves etching with acid vapors - sulfuric or hydrochloric.

Other preparatory activities:

  • Keeping seeds outdoors. The exposure time is 30-30 days.
  • Disinfection of seeds. Apply fentiuram 65% or copper trichlorophenolate. The dosage is 12 kg per 1 ton.
  • Before sowing, the seeds are immersed in water for 10 hours. Or you can simply moisten them by treating them three times every 10 hours. The rate of water consumption is 500 liters per ton of seeds.


Landing rules

The minimum temperature for planting seeds is 10-12 ° C. Until the ground warms up, there is no point in sowing. In cold ground, cotton seeds can die. Seeds are sown in accordance with the selected planting pattern. But with any option, the row spacing is 60 cm. Schemes used for sowing cotton:

  • Dotted method - 60x25 cm.
  • Rectangular nesting - 60x45 cm.
  • Square-nested - 60x60 cm.
  • Wide-row crops - 90x15 / 20/30 cm.

Planting pattern parameters affect yield. The use of special methods can increase yields. So, the use of the ridge method allows you to get an additional "increase" to the yield - 3 c / ha.

Place 2-3 seeds in one hole. They are buried 4-5 cm.This is for ordinary gray soil, for swamp and meadow soil - 3-4 cm.

Seed consumption is determined by the selected planting method. The selection is carried out so that it is not necessary to thin out the plantings. Seeding rates depend on the seed treatment:

  • Bare seeds - 40-42 kg / ha.
  • Pubescent seeds - 60 kg / ha.

The number of plants per hectare is 80-120 thousand.

Plant care

When the cotton is sown, it is necessary to provide the crops with care:

  1. Irrigation. You can water crops in any way, including sprinkling. To strengthen the roots, you need to water the planting twice. First, when 3-5 leaves appear, the second time - after 3 weeks, when budding begins. When plants are blooming and bearing fruit, they need more moisture. Final watering - a week before foliage shedding.
  2. Cultivation. During the growing season, three cultivations are carried out:
    • when shoots appear - a depth of 8-10 cm;
    • before the first watering;
    • when the soil dries up.
  3. Mulching. Organics are preferred. The best option is to sprinkle the soil with bulk manure. This allows you to retain moisture in the soil. Less manure - high costs. You have to spend up to 250 kg per hectare. You can also use straw for mulching. It is undesirable to use the cut grass - it threatens the appearance of pests.
  4. Weed control. Growth phase and weather should be considered before herbicide treatment. Likewise with the destruction of pests. There are many "chemicals" that kill aphids, ticks and other insects, but this treatment negatively affects the eco-friendliness of cotton. Chemical treatments are avoided whenever possible.

Diseases, pests and methods of protection

Pest and disease control measures:

  • observance of agrotechnics and farming culture;
  • destruction of weeds;
  • correct crop rotation;
  • cleaning plant residues after harvesting;
  • deep autumn tillage - up to 30 cm;
  • cultivation of varieties resistant to diseases.

The most dangerous pests of cotton:

  • spider mite;
  • tobacco thrips;
  • winter scoop;
  • cotton scoop.

Sucking pests. Aphid and tobacco thrips control involves several treatments. The first - in March-April, the next - depending on the density of insects per 1 sq. m. Nitrafen 65% (40-75 kg / ha) is used against ticks. Against the winter moth - chlorophos 80% (1.5-1.8 kg / ha). Against the cotton bollworm - thiodan (2-2.5 kg / ha). The amount of spraying and poisons are selected individually, taking into account the type of insects and their number.


Cotton harvesting

Harvested in the fall. In September-October. Collecting cotton bolls - manual or automated. The cotton that contains the seeds is raw cotton. The ripening of the bolls is uneven, so you have to use different methods of harvesting.

When at least two bolls on each branch open on most plants, they begin defoliation - removing the foliage. This procedure prevents diseases and pests that breed on foliage.

Application and processing

Before cotton can be used for the textile industry, the seeds must be removed from it.

Cotton seeds are used for butter - it is used for the production of margarine and canned food. The cake is used for pet food.

Special cotton ginning factories are engaged in cleaning fibers from seeds. Processing order:

  1. Cleaning from seeds.
  2. Dust cleaning.
  3. Packing in bales.
  4. Sending to a spinning mill.

Despite centuries of experience in growing cotton, its cultivation is still associated with painstaking work. This plant requires special climatic conditions and a number of agrotechnical measures. It will take a lot of effort and investment to achieve good yields.

The cotton plant (Latin Gossypium) belongs to the Malvov family (Latin Malvaceae). In natural conditions, it grows in the tropics and subtropics. In total, about 50 species of these plants are known.

After flowering, seed pods are formed. In addition to seeds, white fluffy fibers grow in them. Cotton fabrics and medical cotton wool are made from these fibers.

The cotton plant was already known to the ancient Egyptians. It was brought to Europe by the Arabs in the 10th century, and the mass production of cotton fabric began only in the 14th century. Due to its unusual appearance and beautiful flowers, it is also grown as a houseplant.

Care

There are various species, including annuals and perennials. In indoor conditions, annuals are most often grown. This plant should be grown in a bright, sunny and draft-free place. It can also be kept in an open-air garden, but in this case it will be necessary to use a shelter from the rain.


The cotton plant tolerates the summer heat well, but it dies during the first frost. Water the plant as the earthen clod dries out in the pot. In early spring, it needs to be fed every two weeks with fertilizer for flowering plants.

Reproduction

Cotton is propagated only by seeds. Sow them as early as possible, around January or February. It is necessary to deepen them into the soil by about 1 cm. Be sure to cover the top with glass. Germinate them in a bright place at a temperature of 20 ° C to 22 ° C.

The first shoots appear within a few days. During this period, they need to provide good humidity. It is not recommended to spray with water from a sprayer, as you can damage the delicate stems. It is best to moisten the soil between the rows of seedlings with a medical syringe or pipette.

When the plants become cramped, they need to be cut into a larger container. When they reach 10 cm in height, they are seated in pots with a diameter of 15 cm. They remain in them until the end of their life, that is, until autumn. Cotton blooms usually 8 weeks after germination.

Cotton is one of the best organic materials throughout human history, used in a variety of industries. The main consumer of fiber is the textile industry, which cannot be imagined without cotton. Fabrics made from this material have excellent characteristics.

Cotton remains in demand over time, as it was many centuries ago.

Description

Cotton is a plant fiber that envelops the seeds of a cotton plant. It is one of the most important and widespread crops around the world. It occupies a leading position as the basis for the production of fabrics. There are dozens of species of this plant.

According to its external characteristics, cotton grows like a shrub. The similarity is due to the presence of branches and leaves. A good example is the following photo of a cotton plant.

In fact, cotton, depending on the species, is a woody or herbaceous plant. It takes root only in hot countries, it needs a warm and humid climate. Its height ranges from one meter to one and a half meters. their color also differs in varietal characteristics, can be pollinated independently. The fruit is a boll of cotton in which the seeds and fibers ripen.

Story

In order to find out how cotton grows, it is useful to read a little historical background about it.

The cultivation of cotton has a long history. This is confirmed by excavations of ancient settlements. India is considered to be the country that started the development of cotton. It was there that the most ancient samples of material and tools for its processing were found. Further, cotton fiber became widespread in Greece and Arab countries. Excavations in China, Persia, Mexico, Peru also speak of the cultivation of cotton for several millennia BC.

From the countries that cultivate the culture, cotton products have spread to Asia and America. Self-cultivation of cotton by these countries began much later.

Before the beginning of cultivation in Europe, there were many legends about how cotton grows. Several variants of names in different cultures have survived to this day, as well as images according to the ideas of people.

Growing cotton

The ripening period for cotton fiber varies depending on the variety: from 100 to 200 days.

Growing cotton fiber requires a well-prepared, porous soil. The presence of nutrients in it is of great importance for the full growth of the plant. Therefore, before sowing, the land is enriched with the help of various fertilizers.

Warm climates also play a huge role. Seeds can germinate at temperatures no lower than 15 degrees. For development and further flowering, the temperature must reach 30 degrees. Cotton needs open access to sunlight. In the shade, the plant may die.

Cotton plants consume a lot of water. The supply of moisture to the plant should be abundant and constant. At the same time, cotton is able to tolerate drought due to its well-developed root system. But under such conditions, the amount of the crop is reduced.

Ripening of cotton on the plant is uneven, therefore, the harvest takes place in several stages. Often leaves are removed from it before harvesting, which can interfere with the harvesting process.

After the boll with fiber ripens, it opens. Cotton picking begins, which is carried out mechanically or manually. The ripe fiber bolls are plucked from the plant together with the seeds. Further, the raw material is cleaned from seeds, dust and debris, and is transported to its destination.

Properties

Cotton fiber has a number of positive properties:

  • perfectly absorbs moisture;
  • does not cause allergies;
  • warms, keeps warm;
  • has high air permeability;
  • does not need complex care;
  • has a low cost;
  • convenient for sewing various clothes.

Cotton also has several negative properties:

  • without adding it is crumpled, stretched and thinned;
  • quickly loses color when exposed to sunlight;
  • loses its properties upon prolonged contact with water.

Application

Cotton fiber is used in various spheres of human life.

Primarily, cotton is used in the textile industry. Fabrics of various characteristics and colors are made from it. For example, satin, flannel, chintz and many others. Cotton fiber is used in the manufacture of threads, yarn, cotton wool, paper, and even explosives.

Cotton seeds are also used in industry. Some of them are being prepared for further disembarkation. Oil is squeezed out of the rest of the seeds, which is used for food. Low quality oil is used for technical needs. The raw materials remaining after pressing the oil are rich in protein, therefore, animal feed is made from it.

Of the dozens of varieties of cotton, several are used for the manufacturing industry.

Information about how cotton grows and its industrial applications are interesting and important. This plant has played a large role in the history of mankind for many centuries.


Cotton - a fiber of plant origin, obtained from the bolls of cotton - plants of the genus Gossypium, which in Latin means "a tree that gives cotton."

Description of cotton plant

The cotton plant originated about a hundred million years ago in the Malvaceae family. Now on the planet there are thirty-two wild and five cultivated types of cotton, combined into six sections and two subgenera according to their habitat, features of life and appearance. Cultural species fall into nineteen more subspecies, each of which contains hundreds (!) Of annual and perennial, tree, shrub and herbaceous varieties.
Cotton is one or perennial grasses (less often trees reaching heights of up to 7 meters) with large leaves, white, yellow or pink flowers. When ripe, cotton fruits open into 2-5 segments and are seeds enveloped in the finest fibers from 15 to 55 mm long, usually white. The longer and thinner the fibers, the more valuable they are.

Between the tenth and twelfth weeks after sowing the seeds, the first flowers appear in white or yellow shades. Upon ripening, the flowers will change their color to pink and purple (the beauty of cotton flowers was appreciated by the ancient Chinese - in the 8th century they grew cotton as an ornamental plant). Almost immediately after this, the plant begins to drop capsules, which swell to the size of a hen's egg. Ripening of cotton occurs 5-7 weeks after flowering.

The root system of cotton is pivotal, penetrating to a depth of 2 m, however, the largest mass of roots is in the 0.5-meter soil layer. In conditions of excess moisture, the roots are less developed, their core type is not so clearly expressed.
The main stem is vertical, 80 cm high or more. After the development of 3-7 leaves on the main stem, branches with generative organs are formed from the axils of the subsequent ones. The earlier the first branch grows, the sooner the variety will ripen.

Cotton is a self-pollinator, but cross-pollination has also been noted. More than 30 generative organs can form on the bush, however, due to the loss of flowers and ovaries, caused by genetic characteristics and violation of agricultural technology, up to 20-50% of the resulting bolls are preserved and matured.

Distribution and history

Cotton produces the world's most abundant textile fiber. It is grown in many temperate regions. The main producing countries are China, USA, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt.
The geographical origin of cotton is South Asia. On the bushes 6, or even more than 12 meters high, by the fall, skinny bolls with seeds ripened. Cotton has changed a lot, leaving, as they say, “From rags to riches”. In every way. Has become lower, but as it were dignified. There were more bolls on each plant, and, most importantly, they seemed to be stuffed with white fiber. Yes, in this sense, people are clearly lucky with cotton. He, as they say, is prone to variability. This property is striking: In one field you will not find two completely similar plants. Rather, you can easily notice that the color of the flowers and the shape of the leaves are different. This means: purposeful selection is easier from genus to genus. On the territory of our Central Asian republics, cotton has been cultivated since the sixth century BC.

Cotton plant is surprising in that the peoples of the Old and New World began to grow it independently of each other. Columbus and his companions saw cotton aprons and scarves on the inhabitants of the continent they discovered, which protected their heads from the sun. Later, the lord of the Aztecs donated 30 bales of cotton cloaks to the Spanish conqueror Cortes. Cotton has been known in India since the 6th century BC. Herodotus wrote that "strange plants grow there, on which wool grows instead of fruits." In hot climates, people preferred light clothes made of cotton, thick and heavy clothes made of linen. The finest Indian fabrics were so thin that they could be threaded through a wedding ring. Through the Arab market, cotton got to Palestine, Egypt, Andalusia, Sicily. Until the end of the eighth century, it was imported into Europe only in the form of finished products. For the first time the production of cotton fabrics was opened in 1772 in England.

Kinds

There are 39 known types of cotton. They all come from warm temperate or tropical zones. However, only four species are regularly bred, or rather, many of their varieties. Several more species are sometimes grown as ornamental in gardens.

Genetically, cotton species are divided into two groups, differing in the number of chromosomes in the cell: diploid and tetraploid. A single set of chromosomes is designated by the letter "n". In cotton, n is 13. Most of the cotton species are diploid, i.e. their non-sex cells have two sets of chromosomes (2n = 26). Diploid and two cultivated species - Indo-Chinese cotton, or tree-like (G. arboreum), and herbaceous cotton, or Guza (G. herbaceum). Two more species that are of much greater economic importance are Peruvian cotton, or Barbados (G. barbadense), and Mexican, ordinary, or upland cotton (G. hirsutum) - tetraploids, i.e. they have four sets of chromosomes (4n = 52).
Diploid cultivated species originate either from Africa or Asia, but are called unambiguously Asian at the place of introduction into the culture. The homeland of cultural tetraploids is the New World, but it has been established that one diploid set is "local" for them, and the second is Asian. How they came together is unclear.

Since ploidy affects the characteristics of cotton fiber, experiments were carried out to change the chromosome number of cotton. For example, by crossing different lines and treatments with colchicine (this substance suppresses the divergence of chromosomes during cell division) triploid (3n) and hexaploid (6n) plants were obtained.

Common cotton may have its origins in southern Mexico and Central America, but countless cultivated forms, accounting for approximately 90% of the world's cotton fiber production, originate in both the New World and the Old World. The height of these plants is 0.6-1.5 m, their oval seeds are covered with thick grayish, reddish or green lint and white long fibers - thin or medium in thickness, usually 5-13 mm long.

The Barbadian cotton plant probably originates from western South America. Its island types, so named because they were formerly grown on islands off the coast of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, are now bred primarily in the West Indies and the southeastern United States. The long fibers of these plants (38-44 mm) are creamy, silky. The Egyptian types, which produce long, strong fiber, are descended from the island types introduced into Egypt. They are now grown in Egypt, the southwestern United States, western Asia, Sudan and Peru. The fibers of these plants are brownish, 35-44 mm long.

The birthplace of tree-like cotton, reaching more than 3 m in height, and herbaceous cotton, possibly India. These ancient Asian cultures, which do not play a significant role in modern cotton growing, have long fibers, stiff and short - 9-19 mm.

Cotton plant. Photo

Cotton. Photo: David Stanley

Cotton plant. Photo: Brian Dunnette

Usage

Cotton is the main source of woven fiber worldwide. Today, the world production of raw cotton is 25.5 million tons from 34.8 million hectares of crops. The main cotton producers in the world are China, the USA and India, which account for almost 60% of world production. About 53% of the world's cotton production comes from subsidies. Countries such as the United States, China, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt and India fully finance their own cotton production.

Cotton is grown in over 100 countries, accounting for about 40% of the global woven fiber market. Cotton is cultivated in different climatic zones, in particular tropical, subtropical and temperate.

In the production of plant fibers, cotton accounts for up to 75%. Up to 75 types of products can be obtained from cotton. One ton of raw cotton (seeds with fiber) gives up to 320 kg of fiber, 650 kg of seeds, 10 kg of short lint fiber 4-5 mm long.
Cotton fiber is used to produce fabrics for household use (satin, chintz, cambric, parachute, etc.), film, explosives. Lint is used for the manufacture of artificial silk, paper, insulating fabrics. The seeds are used to obtain edible and industrial oils, and the waste goes to animal feed. The stems are suitable for making paper, varnishes, alcohol.