Cotton is one of the most widespread industrial crops, the growing area of which covers subtropical and tropical regions. Growing cotton (cotton) is not an easy task, requiring compliance with many agrotechnical rules, since the crop is capricious. Fabrics made from cotton raw materials are the most popular in the world. But the use of cotton is not limited to the textile industry.
Description of the plant
Cotton is about 50 herbaceous species belonging to the Malvaceae family. All these relatives of mallow differ quite significantly from each other: they come in small bushes, and tall shrubs exceeding 5 m in length, and annuals and perennials. But the types of cotton used in textile production are only annuals and biennials.
The plant has a powerful tap root system. The main root can go 2-3 m deep into the ground. Lateral roots are usually located near the surface - at a depth of no more than 50 cm. They are strong and developed, especially if they receive enough moisture and nutrition.
The stem is highly branched. Branching begins after 6-7 leaves are formed on the main shoot running vertically. Cotton leaves have an alternate arrangement. The leaf blades have a lobed appearance and noticeable petioles. Each leaf has 3-5 lobes.
Cotton propagates by seed. 3 months after the sprouts peck, the crops begin to bloom. The cotton plant blooms profusely; the bush is strewn with large, rose-like flowers with smooth or double petals. Each flower has 3-5 uniquely twisted petals of yellow, red or white. There are no multi-colored flowers.
Cotton blossoms are amazingly beautiful. So much so that many hobbyists even sow cotton as an ornamental plant in their garden plots.
After flowering is completed, a fruit-box, round or oval, is formed from the ovary. The seeds ripen inside the box. It gradually grows and fills with fiber.After about 1.5 months from the beginning of formation, the box cracks into 2-4 parts, and a thin, fluffy fiber, reminiscent of light lumps of cotton wool, emerges from it. The fiber, which is cotton, performs a protective function; ripened seeds are hidden in it. It is heterogeneous, consists of long and short villi. The first ones are rougher, the second ones are soft and gentle.
Cultivation history
People learned to make fabrics from cotton in ancient times, which is confirmed by the results of archaeological research. The Indians were the first to grow cotton for its fiber. In India, archaeologists have repeatedly discovered agricultural tools and devices intended for caring for cotton plantings and processing fibrous raw materials. Cotton cultivation supposedly began in Indian territory 7,000 years ago.
In the 5th century BC. Herodotus in his notes talked about an amazing Indian bush that produces wool. From this amazing wool, which is superior in quality to that obtained from sheep, Indians weave soft and thin fabric from which they sew clothes. And today India is one of the leading countries in cotton cultivation.
Following the Indians, the ancient Greeks began to grow the wonderful “woolen” shrub, then the culture migrated to the Middle East, China, Mexico, and the west coast of South America. The first Europeans to establish cotton plantations were the British. It was they who invented the mechanized method of processing cotton in the 1770s. Before this, heavy manual labor was used.
Benefits of growing cotton
Thanks to improvements in the technology of growing and processing cotton, its production has become cheaper, which has a positive impact on the cost of the final raw material.Today, cotton fabrics are one of the most affordable, yet they are distinguished by their quality and durability.
Cotton grows in a consistently warm and dry climate. Previously, plantations were established exclusively in developing Asian, South American and African countries. Today, many developed countries with territories suitable for climatic conditions are engaged in growing cotton.
For example, the world leaders in cotton exports have been the USA and China for many years. There, agricultural machinery is used to grow cotton and harvest the crop, so the cost of production is low and profitable. But in the underdeveloped countries of Africa and Asia, cotton continues to be picked by hand.
Popular varieties
Cotton is a self-pollinating plant that has many species and even more varieties. Scientists for a long time could not form a generic classification of the plant due to the fact that its species tend to change external characteristics under the influence of natural and climatic factors. Plus, cotton species are cross-pollinated, so there are many hybrid varieties among the varieties.
The value of cotton varieties is determined by the structure of the fibers. The thinner and longer they are, the better and more expensive the fabric obtained from them.
It is impossible to list all varieties of cotton; there are a huge number of them. Many varieties do not have names, but are grouped under numbers into a specific brand. In the territory of the former USSR, the most common varieties are Eloten-7, Tashkent-6, Serdar, Omad, Namangan-77, Dashoguz-114, Dashoguz-120, Regar-34, Ash-36, Charos-1, Kzyl-Ravat, Bukhoro-6 , Bukhoro-120, Sulton. And the best variety of cotton is Andijon-35, from which snow-white fabric of increased strength is made, used for the production of high-quality linen.
In the USA, the most common cotton varieties are Deltapine, FiberMax, and Stoneville. The first brand accounts for almost 40% of the sown area, the second - 35%, and the third - 12%. In India, the most common cotton varieties are Jayadhar, Digvijay, Wagad, G-Cot-13.
As for the types of cotton, today the following are used for industrial cultivation:
- Common is the most common annual cotton plant. It produces medium quality fiber.
- Herbaceous is an annual species common in central and southeast Asian regions. It forms the lowest bushes of all varieties and is most resistant to negative factors, including more severe climatic conditions when grown in areas close to the temperate zone. The resulting cotton is characterized by short and rough fibers, most similar to animal hair.
- Indochinese is a tall perennial that resembles not so much a shrub as a tree, reaching a height of 6-7 m. It has a wide growing range in tropical regions. It blooms with red flowers, but the cotton fiber is yellowish.
- Peruvian is an annual plant that, through the efforts of breeders, produces the highest quality fiber, delicate, with long fibers. Today, its cultivation area is limited to Egypt and southeastern North America.
Nuances of cultivation
Cotton is capricious in terms of growing technology. There is a lot that needs to be taken into account, and, above all, the sowing time. Seeds are sown strictly in February. Delay is unacceptable, otherwise, due to late flowering, the boxes will not have time to fully form by the end of autumn, when the harvest time comes.
Cotton is a light-loving and heat-loving crop.Sprouts begin to emerge from the seeds when the temperature reaches +10-12°C. The optimal temperature for plant development during the season is +25-30°C. Even minimal autumn or spring frosts can destroy the plant. But cotton tolerates a lack of soil moisture normally and is even able to withstand prolonged droughts due to the fact that its powerful root system finds water in the deep layers of the earth. However, the outer parts of the plant need regular irrigation, otherwise the boxes will dry out and fall to the ground unripe.
The growing season of cotton is approximately 150 days. And the ripening of the seed pods lasts 50 days.
Cotton is adapted to growing in soil conditions that are destructive for other plant species. Thus, it can fully grow on saline and alkaline swamp soils. However, cotton is very demanding regarding the content of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, to obtain high-quality cotton raw materials, plantations are carefully fertilized. So, to produce 30 centners of fiber per 1 hectare, plants extract 45 kg of nitrogen, 15 kg of phosphorus and 18 kg of potassium from the soil.
Distribution of cotton in Russia
Among the countries of the former Union, the main cotton producers are the Central Asian republics, mainly Uzbekistan. But in Russia, cultivation of this crop is also practiced. Since the plant is heat-loving, it can only be grown in the southern regions of the country, namely in the Astrakhan region. In this region, breeders have been actively working for several years to create varieties that are more resistant to unfavorable climatic conditions.
Crop rotation
The best predecessor crop is alfalfa.It saturates the soil with humus and mineral elements, which are so necessary for cotton to fully develop, and also reduces the saturation of the soil with salts. The soil in which alfalfa grew is more breathable. In the first year after alfalfa, cotton yields are 50% higher than the statistical average. Higher yields persist in the next 2 seasons after alfalfa.
Cotton crop rotation implies a multi-field cultivation principle, when part of the land intended for growing cotton is allocated to alfalfa in a certain season.
Landing rules
Growing cotton has always been a troublesome task, requiring significant effort. The plant is demanding on weather conditions, soil structure and quality, and requires seed preparation and a number of agrotechnical procedures.
Soil preparation
Preparing the soil for sowing cotton is a whole complex of measures consisting of several stages:
- Peeling the area after growing the previous crop. The hulling plow loosens light soils by 5 cm, heavy soils by 10 cm. Surface tillage of the soil is carried out at the end of August or the first days of September, it is necessary to preserve moisture and destroy pests.
- Plowing the soil to a depth of 49 cm.
- During the plowing process, adding a herbicide necessary to destroy the weed roots remaining in the ground.
- Repeated loosening and washing of the soil if it is saline.
- Harrowing the soil next season - in mid-February before sowing seeds.
- Fertilizing the soil with manure and further plowing.
- Cultivation to a depth of 5-10 cm.
After all these activities, farmers begin sowing cotton.
If cotton grows for several seasons in the same area, fertilizing is required. For 1 hectare it is necessary to apply 150 kg of nitrogen fertilizer, 100 kg of phosphorus, 50 kg of potassium. If cotton is sown after alfalfa or other legumes, then less nitrogen fertilizing is needed for 2-3 seasons - 50-80 kg. It is recommended to add organic matter along with mineral fertilizers.
Seed preparation
As seed material, high-quality and fresh cotton seeds are taken, which are collected before the arrival of autumn cold weather. It is important to select seeds that correspond to the zoning of varieties.
The seed material is carefully processed. First, the underfur is removed mechanically. Then they are etched with acid vapors.
Step-by-step instruction
Until the ground is warmed to at least +10°C, sowing cotton seeds is unacceptable. Different sowing schemes are used, but in any case the row spacing is 60 cm.
Here are some common cotton sowing patterns:
- dotted lines - 60×25;
- rectangular sockets - 60x45;
- square nests - 60×60;
- wide rows - 90×15 (or ×20, ×30).
To increase cotton yields, the ridge sowing method is used. It allows you to get an additional 3 quintals of cotton per hectare. Place 2-3 seeds in a hole at a depth of 3-5 cm, depending on the type of soil.
How many seeds are needed depends on the cotton planting method.Take as many seeds as needed to prevent thinning of crops. If the seeds have preserved fluff, you need to take 60 kg per 1 ha. If the underfur is removed, 40 kg is enough. On one 1 hectare of sown area, 80-100 thousand plants should grow.
Cotton care
A variety of irrigation is used for cotton, including irrigation. The first time the crops are watered abundantly when 3-5 leaves are formed, the second time after about a month, when the buds begin to set. Subsequently, the cotton plant is watered at the root and irrigated regularly during flowering and fruiting. The last watering is applied 8-10 days before the leaves fall.
During the growing season, cotton is cultivated three times: when sprouts are pecked to a depth of 10 cm, before the first watering and when the soil dries.
Organic materials are used as mulch. The optimal mulch for cotton is rotted manure, which perfectly retains soil moisture. But this is the most expensive material for mulching; 200 kg have to be consumed per 1 hectare. Straw is cheaper. But it is undesirable to use hay due to the risk of pest damage to the cotton plant.
Farmers try not to use herbicides and insecticides when growing cotton, as this negatively affects the environmental qualities of cotton. But this has to be done if the plants are severely affected.
When at least 2 bolls burst on each branch of the bush, the cotton leaves are completely removed. The event is necessary to prevent the spread of infections and pests.
Cotton harvest time is late September and October.
Possible diseases and pests
Breeders are trying to create cotton varieties that are resistant to infections and pests.But even when growing such varieties, preventive measures must be taken to prevent crop damage. Prevention means:
- fulfillment of agrotechnical requirements;
- timely elimination of weeds;
- compliance with crop rotation;
- destruction of remaining plant parts after harvesting;
- deep autumn plowing of the soil.
There are many pests who want to feast on cotton plants. The most common is spider mites, against which 65% Nitrafen is used in an amount of 40-70 kg/ha.
Aphids and tobacco thrips suck juices from plants. They have to be poisoned with insecticides several times a season until they are completely destroyed. The first time is at the end of March or beginning of April. Which toxins to use and with what frequency depends on the abundance of pest damage to plants.
To combat the winter armyworm, 80% Chlorophos is used in an amount of 1.5 kg/ha. And against the cotton bollworm, it is recommended to use the insecticide “Tiodan” in an amount of 2 kg/ha.
Main Application
The bulk of cotton is used to make fabrics: calico, cambric, calico, poplin, flannel and many others. The most common cotton fabric is denim. It is durable, wear-resistant, breathable.
The quality of denim is determined by the type of cotton from which it is made. The best denim products are made from Mexican and Barbadian cotton. Its fibers are soft, reaching a length of 2.4 cm. This fiber produces high-quality fabric, practically devoid of scars, used for the production of durable, durable and extremely comfortable things.But growing and processing such cotton is very difficult, so few jeans products are produced from it - 7% of the total world production.
Cotton from Zimbabwe is of excellent quality at a low cost. But the largest percentage of textile production is made up of cotton fabrics produced in India and Asian countries, which are characterized by short fibers. Denim products made from this cotton account for 50% of the world market.
Each average person on the planet uses about 7 kg of cotton throughout the year in the form of various textile products.
Cotton is needed not only for textile production. Cotton seeds are not thrown away when processing the bolls, but are used to produce valuable cosmetic oil. The seeds are also used to make cottonseed flour for crop production.
The underfluff removed from cotton seeds is used in the production of plastic products, photographic paper, and varnishes. And the husks of the boxes become useful feed.
Interesting Facts
When the British Lewis Paul and John Wyatt patented a spinning machine for the production of cotton fabric in 1738, Manchester, Great Britain, became the world center for cotton processing.
The banknotes that we are used to paying in stores look like paper, in fact, a large percentage of their composition is cotton. Therefore, they do not come apart if washed with water.
The extreme demand of cotton for irrigation has caused the depletion of water reserves in the Aral Sea. Water for intensive irrigation of the cotton fields there came from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya - rivers that feed the sea.
Cotton is grown in about 80 countries on all continents.Cotton is depicted on the coats of arms of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and many other Asian and African countries, in whose economies cotton growing occupies the most important place.
In the 19th century, the famous Russian entrepreneur Savva Morozov began growing cotton. He bought American cotton seeds and sent them to Central Asian and Transcaucasian fields.
The first mentions of cotton in ancient Russian sources date back to the 15th century. At that time in Rus' it was customary to call cotton fabric “paper”. This is where the modern concept of “cotton” comes from.
