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Cotton
What do you want to know about cotton?
Cotton plants

Cotton Textiles & Fabrics.

Cotton Dresses
What is Cotton?
What is it cotton made of?
What are uses of cotton?
What is the history of Cotton?
Where is cotton grown?
How cotton grows?
What is cotton used for?
What one bale of cotton can make?
Cotton Glossary
Cotton in the Classroom
Cotton Library
Cotton Store
Cotton Yarn

Yarn consists of several strands of material twisted together. Each strand is, in turn, made of fibers, all shorter than the piece of yarn that they form. These short fibers are spun into longer filaments to make the yarn. Long continuous strands may only require additional twisting to make them into yarns. Sometimes they are put through an additional process called texturing.

The characteristics of spun yarn depend, in part, on the amount of twist given to the fibers during spinning. A fairly high degree of twist produces strong yarn; a low twist produces softer, more lustrous yarn; and a very tight twist produces crepe yarn. Yarns are also classified by their number of parts. A single yarn is made from a group of filament or staple fibers twisted together. Ply yarns are made by twisting two or more single yarns. Cord yarns are made by twisting together two or more ply yarns.

Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or other lubricants to withstand the stresses involved in sewing. Embroidery threads are yarns specifically designed for hand or machine embroidery.

S- and Z-twist yarn

Q.

What is yarn made from?

A.

Yarn is made from many different fibers -- animal, plant and vegetable. Animal fibers include wool, mohair, angora, silk, cashmere, llama, alpaca and qiviut (musk ox) and are made of mostly protein. Cotton, linen and ramie are vegetable fibers. Synthetic (man-made) fibers include acrylic, nylon, polyester, metallics and microfibers.

Each fiber has its own qualities, and they are often blended to take advantage of the best properties of each.

Q.

What are plies?

A.

Years ago, yarn was referred to by the number of strands (plies) twisted together. This wasn't a problem at the time, because crocheters and knitters understood that a two-ply yarn would be much thinner than a four-ply yarn.

Today, however, yarn sizes can range from the finest gossamer threads to extra-bulky yarn. Yarn manufacturers now give us more information so that we can be confident in substituting yarns. Ply refers to the number of strands twisted together to make a particular yarn – it no longer describes a weight or class of yarn.

The diameter of these plies is what determines the weight of the yarn. A very fine yarn can consist of several tiny plies, while a heavy yarn may only consist of one unspun ply.

Q.

What is gauge?

A.

Gauge is the number of stitches per inch and the number of rows per inch a crocheter or knitter gets when stitching with a particular size of yarn and a specific crochet hook or knitting needles.

Gauge varies from stitcher to stitcher, even when they are using exactly the same yarn and hook or needles. It is very personal. One person may get 4 stitches to the inch with a worsted-weight yarn and a size G crochet hook, while another gets 3.5 stitches to the inch. This may not sound like much, but that half stitch per inch can make your finished garment several inches too big or too small.

This is why making a test swatch is so important.

Q.

What is a swatch?

A.

A swatch is a small sample piece of knitting or crocheting made in the stitch pattern using the size of yarn and hook or needles called for in the pattern. A swatch will help you determine if you meet the designer's gauge.

It will also give you a good indication of whether or not your chosen yarn will have the desired hand (feel) and drapability.

For best results, make a crocheted swatch that measures at least 6 inches square and then measure the stitches in the center of the swatch to determine gauge.

Q.

How do I measure gauge for knitted patterns?

A.

Most knitting patterns and some crochet patterns will tell you to make a swatch (test piece) using the stitch pattern called for in the project. For instance, some knitting patterns may say to cast on a certain number of stitches and work a certain number of rows in the specified pattern. When bound off and smoothed out on a flat surface, the piece should measure the size specified in the pattern.

The pattern may say "20 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches stockinette stitch." To make this test piece, use the size needles the pattern directs you to use and cast on 20 stitches. Work 20 rows in stockinette stitch (alternating knit and purl rows). After 20 rows have been completed, bind off. Lay the piece flat on a table and measure the width and length. If you knit to the designer's gauge, your piece should measure 4 inches wide and 4 inches tall.

If your pattern instructions don't say to knit a test swatch, you can measure the stitches and rows by using the method below for measuring crochet gauge.

Q.

What about the gauge in a crochet pattern?

A.

Many times, a crochet pattern will not tell you to make a gauge swatch. It may say instead "4 stitches and 4 rows = 1"."

To make a swatch (test piece), use the yarn and hook size called for and chain enough to measure about 6". Work in the specified pattern for about 6", then fasten off. Lay the piece flat on a table. Place a small ruler (here's where a sewing hem gauge with a moveable pointer comes in handy) with the 1" mark at the beginning of one stitch. Count the number of stitches between the 1" mark and the 2" mark on a horizontal row. If there are partial stitches in between this inch, count the stitches in between two inches or three inches, until you have the number of whole stitches. This is your stitch gauge.

Next, place your ruler so that the 1" mark is at the bottom of a vertical row. Count the number of rows between the 1" mark and the 2" mark. Again, if you have partial rows, count another inch or two until you have the number of complete rows. This is your row gauge.

Q.

What if I don't knit to the designer's gauge? Does this mean I can't make this pattern?

A.

If your gauge doesn't match the designer's gauge specified in your pattern, don't panic. Most stitchers seldom match a gauge exactly.

Everyone knits or crochets with a different tension, which affects gauge. If your gauge is larger than that specified in the pattern, switch to a smaller hook or set of needles and try another swatch. If your swatch is smaller, then you'll need to increase needle or hook sizes until your gauge matches.

It isn't unusual to sometimes need to go up or down several hook or needle sizes to get the proper gauge. It also is not unusual for hooks manufacturered by different companies to give different gauges. If all else fails, try switching hook brands to reach the desired gauge.

Q.

What if my stitch gauge matches, but not my row gauge?

A.

Of the two, the stitch gauge is more important. In a sweater pattern, for example, most patterns will tell you to work so many inches to the underarm, then so many inches to the neckline shaping. In this case, it doesn't matter if your row gauge is a bit off since you're working in inches.

Row gauge becomes very important, however, when complicated stitch patterns repeat after so many rows, such as a 10-row pattern repeat. If the designer specifies that the shaping must take place at a certain row and your row gauge is very different from the pattern gauge, the shaping will not be done at the proper time, which means your garment may not fit properly.

In most cases, though, if you can match the stitch gauge, your row gauge shouldn't be too far off.

Q.

My pattern calls for a certain brand of yarn that I can't find in local stores. What do I do now?

A.

Don't worry! Here's a chance for you to be really creative and make a unique garment totally your own!

Most yarn labels tell you the recommended gauge and needle or hook size. Read the label and purchase a yarn that comes closest to the specified gauge in your pattern.

Be sure to make that all-important swatch to see if the yarn works for your particular pattern!

Q.

How much yarn will I need to _________?

A.

Again, here's where you'll need to read the label.

Your pattern should tell you the number of yards in a skein of the yarn called for in the pattern. Multiply the yardage by the total number of skeins needed to make the project.

Read the label of the yarn you plan on ________ to find out yardage. Divide the total number of yards needed for the pattern by the number of yards in the skein of substitution yarn. This is the total number of skeins you'll need to make the project.

It's always a good idea to ______ an extra skein or two, just in case you need to make adjustments to the pattern. It's best to have too much yarn instead of too little. Most yarn shops and hobby stores will allow you to return extra yarn, as long as you haven't used any.

Q.

Can't I substitute yarn based on the number of plies?

A.

There are some three- or four-ply yarns that are very lightweight yarns. There are also some one- or two ply yarns that are very bulky and heavy.

Your best bet is to always substitute yarns based on the recommended gauge and needle or hook size listed on the label.

Q.

How important is yarn content when substituting?

A.

Yarn content is not as important as gauge.

You can easily substitute a similar weight of cotton yarn for wool, or acrylic for cotton. Keep in mind the finished use of the project you're making. A washcloth, for instance would not be very practical stitched in wool or acrylic yarn. Socks made in acrylic do not wear as well as socks made in wool.

If you are combining different types of yarn in one project, make sure they all have the same washing instructions or you could be unpleasantly surprised when the wool yarn shrinks and the acrylic yarn doesn't.

You should also consider the feel and drapability of the yarn when substituting. When in doubt, make a swatch!

Q.

What does drapability mean?

A.

Drapability refers to the stiffness or softness of the finished project.

A project crocheted or knitted with a heavy yarn and small hooks or needles will not drape well -- it will be very stiff. Conversely, a project crocheted or knitted with large needles or hooks and very fine yarn will be very limp -- fine for shawls, but not really good for sweaters.

Stitching a large swatch (approximately 12" by 12") in the desired yarn and pattern stitch will give you a good idea of how drapable your finished project will be.

Q.

I've heard that cotton yarn is too heavy to make a sweater. Is this true?

A.

No. And yes. It all depends on the pattern stitch and how heavy the yarn is to begin with.

Cotton yarn comes in many weights -- from baby weight all the way to extra chunky. Take a good look at the photo of the finished project to see if the pattern stitch will make a heavy fabric. Then make a swatch!

This is one instance when a lighter weight yarn can be substituted for a heavy one (for instance, substitute sport weight cotton yarn for worsted weight) with good results. Just make sure to use a larger hook and check your gauge!

Even though the yarn is a lighter weight, the gauge should still be the same or the size of the finished garment will be affected.

Q.

How can I tell if the yarn I bought will pill?

A.

Pilling (little balls of fiber that appear on sweaters) comes from friction. The rubbing of fibers against each other causes static, and static causes the fibers to attach to each other, forming little bundles. The more friction, the more little bundles are formed. Generally, the tighter a yarn is spun, the less likely it is to pill.

A yarn with a tight twist is best for socks or work sweaters, or any project that will get lots of heavy wear. Look closely at the yarn you plan on _______. If you see a lot of little fuzzy fibers sticking out of the main strand, it's likely your yarn will pill.

Light pilling can be removed by the use of a sweater stone (a piece of porous stone cut into a rectangular shape that removes the pills by a process similar to sanding with sandpaper) or by using a defuzzer (which is like a razor that shaves off the pills).

Q.

How do I wash my handmade projects?

A.

Take a look a the yarn label for suggested washing instructions. Some yarns, acrylics for example, should be machine washed and dried. These fibers actually expand when washed, allowing dirt to be released from the fibers. They need to be machine dried to go back to their original shape.

Other yarns, wool for example, should never be put in hot water or in the dryer. The sweater you spent many hours to make for your husband could turn up fitting your daughter's doll!

Some wool yarns are treated with chemicals to make it safe for you to machine wash and dry them in warm water, but you'll need to read the label to make sure.

If you've bought yarn at a garage sale and aren't sure of the content, briefly touch a lit match to the end of the yarn. If it melts, the yarn is made of acrylic or nylon. If the yarn scorches, it is likely made from cotton or wool.

You usually can't go wrong hand washing a knitted or crocheted item in gentle soap and cool water and then laying it flat out of the sun to dry.

Q.

What is the difference between one yarn classification and another?

A.

Yarns can generally be classified into six types:
Super fine such as sock, fingering and baby yarns
Fine such as sport and baby yarns
Light weight such as DK and light worsted yarns
Medium-weight such as worsted, aran and afghan yarns
Bulky weight such as chunky, craft and rug yarns
Super Bulky weight such as bulky and roving yarns

Q.

What knitting needles should I use with a type of yarn?

A.

Generally, smaller size needles are used with light-weight yarns, medium size needles with medium-weight yarns, and larger size needles with heavier weight yarns.

Q.

What do I do if I don't have enough of yarn of a dye lot to finish a project?

A.

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question.This is why the importance of buying enough yarn of the same dye lot before the project is started is stressed in almost all patterns.

For small or multicolored projects, a color match of another dye lot may be close enough for your purposes. But with a solid color sweater or Afghan, you likely will find that the match is not exact enough for a finished product to be pleasing.


Yarn Substitution List

The following is a list of yarns and the respective needle or hook sizes necessary to meet the recommended gauge. This gauge is an average gauge specified by the yarn manufacturers, one that they feel works best with their yarns. Be sure to read your pattern to check the designer's gauge for that particular project, then make a gauge swatch with the yarn you wish to use.

Fingering yarn
Needle size: 0-3 (2-3.25mm)
Knit gauge: 7 or more stitches = 1"

Hook size: D/3-E/4
Crochet gauge: 22-28 stitches = 4 inches

  • Bernat® Baby Soft, Bernat® Lollipop

  • Brown Sheep Cotton Fine, Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn

  • Patons Beehive Baby Yarn, Patons Kroy 3- and 4-ply

  • Plymouth Cleckheaton Merino Bambino 4-Ply, Plymouth Dreambaby 4-Ply, Plymouth Gold Rush

  • Red Heart® Fingering Traditional, Red Heart® Fingering Pompadour

Sport yarn
Needle size: 4-6 (3.5-4mm)
Knit gauge: 7 sts = 1"

Hook size: F/5-G/6
Crochet gauge: 16-20 sts = 4 inches

  • Bernat® Softee Baby, Bernat® Baby Boucle, Bernat® Baby Coordinates, Bernat® Coordinates, Bernat® Sport

  • Blue Sky Alpaca

  • Brown Sheep Top of the Lamb Sport

  • Caron Simply Soft Baby Sport, Caron Cuddlesoft and Cuddlesoft Pomp

  • Lion Brand® Baby Soft, Lion Brand® Jamie and Jamie 3-Ply, Lion Brand® MicroSpun, Patons Astra and Astra Bright Ideas, Patons Grace, Patons Look at Me!

  • Plymouth Wildflower DK and Wildflower Fancy DK

  • Red Heart® Baby Sport, Red Heart® Sport and Super Sport, Red Heart® Soft Baby, Red Heart® TLC Baby

Double knitting (DK) yarn
Needle size: 5-7 (3.75-4.5mm)
Knit gauge: 6 sts = 1"

Hook size: F/5-G/6
Crochet gauge: 16 sts = 4 inches

  • Brown Sheep Kaleidoscope, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece

  • Patons® Cotton DK, Patons Paradiso

  • Plymouth Applause and Applause Print, Plymouth Dreambaby DK, Plymouth

  • Encore DK, Encore Colorspun DK and Colorsplash DK, Plymouth Wildflower

Worsted yarn
Needle size: 7-9 (4.5-5.5mm)
Knit gauge: 5 sts = 1"

Hook size: H/8-J/10
Crochet gauge: 12-16 sts = 4 inches

  • Bernat® Berella, Bernat® Big Value, Bernat® Silky Soft, Bernat® Handicrafter Cotton, Bernat® Chenille, Chenille Sherbet and Chenille Fifth Avenue, Bernat® Mardi Gras, Bernat® Soft Boucle

  • Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash, Brown Sheep's Top of the Lamb Worsted, Brown Sheep Prairie Silk, Brown Sheep Handpaint Originals

  • BrySpun Kid-n-Ewe

  • Caron Perfect Match, Caron Wintuk, Caron Natura, Caron Simply Soft, Caron Sayelle, Caron Dazzleaire

  • Elmore Pisgah Peaches & Crème®, Elmore Pisgah Country Cotton Cabled, Elmore Pisgah Honeysuckle Chenille

  • J&P Coats Lustersheen and Pearl Lustersheen

  • Lion Brand® Al.Pa.Ca, Lion Brand® Chenille Sensations, Lion Brand® Imagine, Lion Brand® Jaime 4-Ply, Lion Brand® Kitchen Cotton, Lion Brand® Wool Ease

  • Patons Canadiana, Canadiana Colors, Canadiana Tweeds and Canadiana Boucle, Patons® Décor

  • Phentex Craft & Slipper, Phentex Merit

  • Plymouth Cleckheaton 8- and 12-Ply, Plymouth Encore, Plymouth Galway

  • Red Heart® Classic, Red Heart® Classic Plus, Red Heart® Fiesta, Red Heart® Kids, Red Heart® Misty, Red Heart® Soft, Red Heart® Super Saver, Red Heart® TLC

  • Spinrite Lily Sugar 'n Cream

Bulky or chunky yarn
Needle size: 9-11 (5.5-8mm)
Knit gauge: 4 sts = 1"

Hook size: K10 ½-L (7mm)
Crochet gauge: 8-12 sts = 4 inches

  • Aunt Lydia's Craft & Rug Yarn

  • Aunt Lydia's Denim

  • Bernat® Breeze, Bernat® Illusions, Bernat® Polar, Bernat® White Buffalo Unspun, Bernat® Softee Chunky

  • Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Polarweight, Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky, Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash Bulky

  • Caron Fascination

  • Lion Brand® Terryspun, Lion Brand® Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, Lion Brand® Chenille Thick & Quick, Lion Brand® Homespun, Lion Brand® Jiffy

  • Patons Canadiana Chunky, Patons Melody

  • Red Heart® Baby Clouds, Red Heart® Light & Lofty

  • Reynolds Cabana, Lopi

  • Sugar & Creme Crafter’s Cotton

Yarn calculator

FAQs

Yarn Substitution List

Events & News
Growing cotton at home or indoors
History of Cotton
History of Cotton Gin
How to grow Cotton
Labeling and Advertising Cotton Products
Organic Cotton Socks
Spinning Tools
Testimonials
The Cotton Plant
The Cotton Story
Uses of Cotton
What one bale of cotton can make?
215 Jeans
249 Bed Sheets
690 Terry Bath Towels
765 Men's Dress Shirts
1,217 Men's T-Shirts
1,256 Pillowcases
3,085 Diapers
4,321 Mid-Calf Socks
21,960 Women's Handkerchiefs

It is based on the conversion of three types of fiber into yarn, then fabric, then textiles.

Cotton is a shrubby plant that is a member of the Mallow family. Its name refers to the cream-colored fluffy fibers surrounding small cottonseeds called a boll. The small, sticky seeds must be separated from the wool in order to process the cotton for spinning and weaving. De-seeded cotton is cleaned, carded (fibers aligned), spun, and woven into a fabric that is also referred to as cotton. Cotton is easily spun into yarn as the cotton fibers flatten, twist, and naturally interlock for spinning. Cotton fabric alone accounts for fully half of the fiber worn in the world. It is a comfortable choice for warm climates in that it easily absorbs skin moisture. Most of the cotton cultivated in the United States is a short-staple cotton that grows in the American South. Cotton is planted annually by using the seeds found within the downy wool. The states that primarily cultivate cotton are located in the "Cotton Belt," which runs east and west and includes parts of California, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, which alone produces nearly five million bales. Together, these states produce approximately 16 million bales a year, second only to China. Business revenue generated by cotton today is approximately $122.4 billion—the greatest revenue of any United States crop.

The cotton plant is a source for many important products other than fabric. Among the most important is cottonseed, which is pressed for cottonseed oil that is used in commercial products such as salad oils and snack foods, cosmetics, soap, candles, detergents, and paint. The hulls and meal are used for animal feed. Cotton is also a source for cellulose products, fertilizer, fuel, automobile tire cord, pressed paper, and cardboard.

History

Cotton was used for clothing in present-day Peru and Mexico perhaps as long as 5,000 years ago. Also, cotton was grown, spun, and woven in ancient ________ around 3000 B.C.

Cotton is not native to Western ______. Around A.D. 800, Arabic ______ likely introduced cotton to Spaniards. By the fourteenth century, Mediterranean farmers were cultivating the cotton plant and shipping the fiber to the Netherlands for spinning and weaving. British innovations in the late 1700s include water-powered spinning machinery, a monumental improvement over hand-spinning. An American named Samuel Slater, who worked with British machinery, memorized the plans for a machine spinner and returned to Rhode Island to set up Slater Mill, the first American textile mill to utilize machine spinners. This mill represents the beginning of the U.S. Industrial Revolution, built on the mechanism of the cotton industry.

Two developments spurred the cultivation of American cotton: cotton spinners and the cotton gin. The cotton gin, developed by Eli Whitney in 1793, easily removed tenacious cottonseeds. Southern plantation owners began planting cotton as a result of these innovations, using enslaved labor for harvesting the cotton. Vigorous cotton cultivation in the South using enslaved labor is considered one reason for friction between North and South that led to the Civil War.

Southern cotton was shipped to New England mills in huge quantities. As a result of machine spinning, weaving, and printing, Americans could cheaply _______ calico and it became universally worn. However, labor costs were significant in New England. Mill owners found ways to reduce those costs, first by employing women and immigrants who were often paid poorly, then by employing young children in the factories. After oppressive labor practices were largely halted, many factories moved to the South where labor was cheaper. (Unionizing efforts affected the profits of those mills.) Today, a fair amount of cotton is woven outside the United States where labor is less costly. Polyester, a synthetic, is often used along with cotton, but has little chance of supplanting the natural fiber.

Raw Materials

The materials required to take cotton bolls to spun cotton include cottonseeds for planting; pesticides, such as insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides, to battle disease and harmful insects; and fertilizers to enrich the soil.

There are agricultural requirements for growing cotton in the United States. Cotton has a long growing season (it can be as long as seven months) so it is best to plant cotton early—February in Texas but as late as June in northern cotton-growing states such as Missouri. Cotton should not be planted before the sun has warmed the soil. It performs best in well-drained, crumbly soils that can hold moisture. It can be grown between latitudes of 30° north and 30° south. Good cotton crops require a long, sunny growing season with at least 160 frost-free days and high moisture levels resulting from rainfall or irrigation during the growing season. However, too much rain during harvest or strong winds during picking can damage the open bolls and load the fiber with too much water, which can ruin the cotton in storage. Generally, a cotton farmer must farm about 2,000 acres (20,000 hectares) if the operation is to be economically viable. On average, an acre will produce about 1.5 bales of cotton, or about 750 lb (340 kg).

The Production Process

  1. In spring, the acreage is cleared for planting. Mechanical cultivators rip out weeds and grass that may compete with the cotton for soil nutrients, sunlight, and water, and may attract pests that harm cotton. The land is plowed under and soil is broken up and formed into rows.
  2. Cottonseed is mechanically planted by machines that plant up to 12 rows at a time. The planter opens a small furrow in each row, drops in seed, covers them, and then packs more dirt on top. Seed may be deposited in either small clumps (referred to as hill-dropped) or singularly (called drilled). The seed is placed 0.75 to 1.25 in (1.9 to 3.2 cm) deep, depending on the climate. The seed must be placed more shallowly in dusty, cool areas of the Cotton Belt, and more deeply in warmer areas.
  3. With good soil moisture and warm temperature at planting, seedlings usually emerge five to seven days after planting, with a full stand of cotton appearing after about 11 days. Occasionally disease sets in, delaying the seedlings' appearance. Also, a soil crust may prevent seedlings from surfacing. Thus, the crust must be carefully broken by machines or irrigation to permit the plants to emerge.
  4. Approximately six weeks after seedlings appear, "squares," or flower buds, begin to form. The buds mature for three weeks and then blossom into creamy yellow flowers, which turn pink, then red, and then fall off just three days after blossoming. After the flower falls away, a tiny ovary is left on the cotton plant. This ovary ripens and enlarges into a green pod called a cotton boll.
  5. The boll matures in a period that ranges from 55 to 80 days. During this time, the football-shaped boll grows and moist fibers push the newly formed seeds outward. As the boll ripens, it remains green. Fibers continue to expand under the warm sun, with each fiber growing to its full length—about 2.5 in (6.4 cm)—during three weeks. For nearly six weeks, the fibers get thicker and layers of cellulose build up the cell walls. Ten weeks after flowers first appeared, fibers split the boll apart, and cream-colored cotton pushes forth. The moist fibers dry in the sun and the fibers collapse and twist together, looking like ribbon. Each boll contains three to five "cells," each having about seven seeds embedded in the fiber.
    Most steps involved in the production of cotton have been mechanized, including seeding, picking, ginning, and baling. Samples are taken from the bales to determine the quality of the cotton.
    Most steps involved in the production of cotton have been mechanized, including seeding, picking, ginning, and baling. Samples are taken from the bales to determine the quality of the cotton.
  6. At this point the cotton plant is defoliated if it is to be machine harvested. Defoliation (removing the leaves) is often accomplished by spraying the plant with a chemical. It is important that leaves not be harvested with the fiber because they are considered "trash" and must be removed at some point. In addition, removing the leaves minimizes staining the fiber and eliminates a source of excess moisture. Some American crops are naturally defoliated by frost, but at least half of the crops must be defoliated with chemicals. Without defoliation, the cotton must be picked by hand, with laborers clearing out the leaves as they work.
  7. Harvesting is done by machine in the United States, with a single machine replacing 50 hand-pickers. Two mechanical systems are used to harvest cotton. The picker system uses wind and guides to pull the cotton from the plant, often leaving behind the leaves and rest of the plant. The stripper system chops the plant and uses air to separate the trash from the cotton. Most American cotton is harvested using pickers. Pickers must be used after the dew dries in the morning and must conclude when dew begins to form again at the end of the day. Moisture detectors are used to ensure that the moisture content is no higher than 12%, or the cotton may not be harvested and stored successfully. Not all cotton reaches maturity at the same time, and harvesting may occur in waves, with a second and third picking.
  8. Next, most American cotton is stored in "modules," which hold 13-15 bales in water-resistant containers in the fields until they are ready to be ginned.
  9. The cotton module is cleaned, compressed, tagged, and stored at the gin. The cotton is cleaned to separate dirt, seeds, and short lint from the cotton. At the gin, the cotton enters module feeders that fluff up the cotton before cleaning. Some gins use vacuum pipes to send fibers to cleaning equipment where trash is removed. After cleaning, cotton is sent to gin stands where revolving circular saws pull the fiber through wire ribs, thus separating seeds from the fiber. High-capacity gins can process 60, 500-lb (227-kg) bales of cotton per hour.
  10. Cleaned and de-seeded cotton is then I 0 compressed into bales, which permits economical storage and transportation of cotton. The compressed bales are banded and wrapped. The wrapping may be either cotton or polypropylene, which maintains the proper moisture content of the cotton and keeps bales clean during storage and transportation.
  11. Every bale of cotton produced in the United States must be given a gin ticket and a warehouse ticket. The gin ticket identifies the bale until it is woven. The ticket is a bar-coded tag that is torn off during inspection. A sample of each bale is sent to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for evaluation, where it is assessed for color, leaf content, strength, fineness, reflectance, fiber length, and trash content. The results of the evaluation determine the bale's value. Inspection results are available to potential buyers.
  12. After inspection, bales are stored in a carefully controlled warehouse. The bales remain there until they are sold to a mill for further processing.

Quality Control

Cotton growing is a long, involved process and growers must understand the requirements of the plant and keep vigilant lookout for potential problems. Pests must be managed in order to yield high-quality crops; however, growers must use chemicals very carefully in order to prevent damage to the environment. Defoliants are often used to maximize yield and control fiber color. Farmers must carefully monitor moisture levels at harvesting so bales will not be ruined by excess water during storage. Soil tests are imperative, since too much nitrogen in the soil may attract certain pests to the cotton.

Expensive equipment such as cotton planters and harvesters must be carefully maintained. Mechanical planters must be set carefully to deposit seed at the right depth, and gauge wheels and shoes must be corrected to plant rows at the requisite spot. Similarly, improperly adjusted machinery spindles on harvesting machines will leave cotton on the spindle, lowering quality of the cotton and harvesting efficiency. A well-adjusted picker minimizes the amount of trash taken up, rendering cleaner cotton.

Byproducts/Waste

There is much discussion regarding the amount of chemicals used in cotton cultivation. Currently, it is estimated that growers use, on average, 5.3 oz (151 g) of chemicals to produce one pound of processed cotton. Cotton cultivation is responsible for 25% of all chemical pesticides used on American crops. Unfortunately, cotton attracts many pests (most notably the boll weevil) and is prone to a number of rots and spotting, and chemicals are used to keep these under control. There are concerns about wildlife poisoning and poisons that remain in the soil long after cotton is no longer grown (although no heavy metals are used in the chemicals). As a result, some farmers have turned to organic cotton growing. Organic farming utilizes biological control to rid cotton of pests and alters planting patterns in specific ways to reduce fungicide use. While this method of cultivation is possible, an organically grown crop generally yields less usable cotton. This means an organic farmer must ______, plant, and harvest more acreage to yield enough processed cotton to make the crop lucrative, or reduce costs in other ways to turn a profit. Increasingly, state university extension services are working with cotton farmers to reduce chemical use by employing certain aspects of biological control in order to reduce toxins that remain in the land and flow into water systems.


Cotton Glossary

 

Aphid
Aphid species, Aphis gossipeii, a sucking pest of cotton.

Bollworms
The larval or caterpillar stage of a most significant cotton pest, primarily infesting fruit (squares, blooms and bolls).

Character (trait)
A distinctive but not necessarily invariable feature exhibited by all individuals of a group and capable of being described or measured; e.g. colour, size, performance. A character of a given individual will have a certain phenotype as determined by the individual's genotype and environment.

Fibre
A cotton fibre is classified in four ways, by its length, micronaire,strength and uniformity. The fibre typically accounts for approximately 35 percent of the weight of a seed cotton, though this proportion varies.

Gene
The basic unit of inheritance.

Genetic purity
Genetic Purity - Trueness to type or cultivar, usually referring to seed.

Genetics
Genetics is the basic science dealing with causes of resemblances and differences among organisms related by descent. It takes into account the effects of genes and the environment.

Germination
The process where a seed, spore, or zygote begins to sprout, grow, or develop, usually after it has been dormant for a time while waiting for the right growing conditions.

Green Revolution
Modification of agriculture starting in the 1950s through the use of machines, fertiliser, pesticides, irrigation and the growth of hybrid varieties of rice, wheat, and corn.

Grow out test
Grow out test is conducted to determine the genetic purity of given seed lots.

Growth regulators
A chemical that speeds or slows plant growth or maturation.

Intercropping
The cultivation of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field, with or without a row arrangement (row intercropping or 'mixed intercropping').

Legume
Any of a large group of plants of the pea family.

Lint
The cotton fibre obtained by the ginning process once the cotton seed,leaves and casing have been removed.

Monocrop
A single crop planted in one area at one time.

Multiline variety
A multiline variety is a mixture of genetic types (lines) of a crop similar in growth characteristics but which differ in the resistance genes which they carry.

Pest
An animal causing damage or annoyance to man, his animals, crops or possessions, such as insects, mites, nematodes, rodents, birds. In phrases such as 'integrated pest management' and 'pest control', the term is used in a broader sense to mean all harmful organisms including fungi, bacteria, viruses and virus-like organisms, and weeds.

Plant breeding
Plant Breeding has been defined as: the art and the science of improving the heredity of plants for the benefit of mankind.

Population
A group of individual plants having some characteristics in common, either location, family ancestry, or intended use.

Seed rate
Amount of seeds used in the sowing (e.g. 40 kg/ha).

Span length
The extent exceeded by a stated proportion of cotton fibres, eg, 2.5% span length is the length exceeded by only 2.5% of fibres by number.

Strain
see variety

Susceptibility
The inability of plants to restrict the activities of a specified pest or pathogen. Also, the inability to withstand a specific environmental or chemical stress.

Tolerance
The ability of plants to endure a specified pest, pathogen, environmental pressure or chemical stress. A tolerant variety will sustain less damage than a susceptible variety when grown under the same conditions.

Variety
A sub-division of species. Closely related plants with nearly identical characteristics, that are distinguishable from other members of the same species.

Viability
A populations ability to live, grow and develop. It is affected by physical habitat factors (climate, geology, topography, and aquatic features) and by biotic habitat factors (plant and animal populations and communities).

Vigour
Strong, vibrant germination and growth. A desirable characteristic.

Virulent
A pathogen capable of causing disease _____

 

Cotton in the Classroom Cotton as an Educational Resource: Cotton touches us in more ways that we can think of. The denim and shirts we wear comes from cotton. Cotton is fun to teach to kids. Children can learn how the cotton plant looks, what a cotton bolls looks like and other things about this wonderful plant. Read Cotton Education Resources for Classrooms

Lesson Ideas for Schools:
*Discuss the origins of cotton. Create a list of products that are derived from cotton.
*Read labels on clothing. How many of the clothes contain cotton? Discuss how cotton is grown and processed into fabric.
*Discuss the history of American cotton and the key events.
*Create a model of a universal density bale, whose dimensions are 55" x 21" x 26". Determine its volume and density if a standard bale is 500 pounds (227 kg).

Educational Activities for Years 1 to 8
1.Give each student or group of students one cotton boll. Have your students examine the cotton fibre. under a magnifying lens. They will notice that these short fibres have almost a silky appearance.
2. Have students grow 3 to 5 cotton seeds in a pot and watch it germinate in 10 days. Discuss different parts of the plant and the life cycle of cotton plant.
3. Share the background information about cotton picking and cotton ginning. Have students actually remove cotton from the boll and separate seeds from the cotton boll using a roller gin.
4. Have your students weigh their fibres from one boll, and then compare it to the weight of a pair of jeans. Ask students to consider how many cotton bolls are needed to produce a pair of jeans.
5.Discuss the invention of the cotton gin and its significance in history and cotton production in United States. Demonstrate the roller gin to show how it separates seeds from fibre.

Cotton Facts
How much does a bale of cotton weigh, on average?
A universal density bale weighs between 480 and 500 pounds (227 kg)

What do cotton gins do?
They separate the seeds from the lint fibres

Who invented the first cotton gin?
Eli Whitney

Who built the world?s first true factory to produce cotton?
Sir Richard Arkwright at Cromford.

Who invented the 'Flying Shuttle'?
In 1733, John Kay invented the 'Flying Shuttle'. This invention allowed wider cloth to be weaved and at a faster speed than before. Kay used his knowledge as a weaver to develop this machine.

Who invented the ?Spinning Jenny??
In 1765, James Hargreaves invented the ?Spinning Jenny?. Within twenty years the number of threads one machine could spin rose from six to eighty.

Which ______ or town in UK had the highest number of cotton factories?
Lancashire

What is the Lancashire Cotton Famine?
In the early 1860's, the Lancashire cotton industry, which dominated the mid-19th century British economy, was devastated by a political event beyond its control, the Civil War in the United States of America.

How can one tell when a cotton flower has been pollinated?
The petals turn from white to light pink

What _________ products the most cotton?
USA

What kind of places convert cotton fibres to yarn?
Textile mills

How many pairs of jeans can be made from one bale of cotton?
325

Cotton Products
•Almost all parts of the cotton plant are used in some way including the lint, cottonseed, linters, stalks and seed hulls
•The fibre from one 227kg cotton bale can produce 215 pairs of jeans, 250 single bed sheets, 1,200 t-shirts, 2,100 pairs of boxer shorts, 3,000 nappies, 4,300 pairs of socks or 680,000 cotton balls

Products Made from Cotton Lint/Fibre

•Cotton lint is spun then woven or knitted into fabrics such as velvet, coruroy, chambray, velour, jersey and flannel
•About 60% of the world’s total cotton harvest is used to make clothing, with the rest used in home furnishings and industrial products
•Well known cotton products include denim jeans, socks, towels, t-shirts, bed sheets and underwear
•More unusual uses of cotton fibre include tents, car tire cord, fishnets and book binding

Products Made from Cotton Seed

•Over half the weight of unprocessed cotton (seed cotton) is made up of seed
•The most common uses of cottonseed are oil for cooking and feed for livestock. Cotton seed is pressed to make cottonseed oil. Cottonseed can be made into a meal and is a popular feed for cattle and livestock as it’s a great source of energy
•Cottonseed oil can also be used in a range of industrial products such as soap, margarine, emulsifiers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, rubber, paint, water proofing and candles
•Cottonseed oil is cholesterol free, high in poly-unsaturated fats and contains high levels of anti oxidents (vitamin E) that contribute to its long shelf life

Products Made from Cotton Linters

•Cotton linters are fine, very short fibres that remain on the cottonseed after ginning. They are curly fibres typically less than 3mm long
•Linters are used in the manufacture of paper (such as archival paper and bank notes) and as a raw material in the manufacture of cellulose plastics
•Linters are commonly used for medical supplies such as bandages, cotton buds, cotton balls and x-rays
Growing cotton at home or indoors
Cotton is a perennial plant but mostly grown as an annual as it cannot withstand frost. Cotton needs a lot of sunshine, warm conditions and 4-5 months of frost-free temperatures to mature and produce cotton. Not all regions are lucky to have long warm summers, cotton can be grown indoors too. You can not only greatly extend your growing season for the cotton plants, but you can also better protect the plants from damaging winds and heavy rains.

1. Plant 2-3 cotton seeds in a 4 inch wide peat pots with soil and compost. Plant the seeds about 1/2 to 1 inch deep into the peat pots.

2. Place the peat pots in a sunny location near the window. Keep the seeds warmed to about 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Water the peat pots lightly every other day to keep the seeds slightly damp at all times.

3. Thin out the weaker seedlings in each peat pot after the cotton seeds germinate and begin to sprout. Allow one strong, healthy cotton seedling to remain in each pot.

4. When the cotton plants outgrow the peat pots, cut the bottom of the peat pots and transfer them into 12 inch diameter planter pots. Fill the planter pots with a loam-based potting compost mixture, not one that’s peat-based.

5. Place the cotton plants outdoors in full sun during days when temperatures are well above 65 degrees Fahrenheit and there’s no heavy rain. Bring the plants indoors and place them in a sunny window when temperatures are cooler.

6. Feed the cotton plants once each week with a liquid plant fertilizer that’s high in Potash (Potassium) or use a Tomato Food or Rose Food available on the market. Follow the fertilizer dosage instructions on the label.

7. Cotton does not like too much water. Water the seedling and mature cotton plants two or three times per week to soak the soil around the roots, allowing the top layer of potting mixture to dry slightly between waterings.

8. Large yellow flowers appear in 45 days from sowing. Flowers wither off and form bolls which crack open to form fluffy cotton in about 130-150 days from sowing.

Growing cotton in your garden

Cotton is a perennial plant but mostly grown as an annual as it cannot withstand frost. Cotton needs a lot of sunshine, warm conditions and 4-5 months of frost-free temperatures to mature and produce cotton. Not all regions are lucky to have long warm summers, cotton can be grown indoors too. You can not only greatly extend your growing season for the cotton plants, but you can also better protect the plants from damaging winds and heavy rains.

1. Work the soil to 3-4 inches deep to eliminate weeds.

2. Incorporate compost into the soil to provide nutrients for the cotton plant.

3. After all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures have warmed up to 60 degrees, its time to plant cotton seeds.

4. Plant cotton seeds in moist soil, in groups of three seeds, 1 inch deep and 6 inches apart.

5. Cotton seeds germinate in 7 to 10 days if soil temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius).

6. Cotton does not like a lot of water. So water once in about 7 days. Water more frequently in summer months if leaves show signs of drying.

7. Feed the cotton plants with a granular or liquid plant fertilizer like a Rose Food available on the market. Follow the fertilizer dosage instructions on the label.

8. Large yellow flowers appear in 45 days from sowing. Flowers wither off and form bolls.

9. Stop watering 16-18 weeks from sowing when bolls have been formed, so that the plant begins to dry and shed their leaves, and the bolls will split open to form a fluffy ball
Cotton Spinning Machine
Cotton Factory
Types of cotton
Cotton Facts
Properties and uses of cotton
Cotton mill
Frequently Asked Questions
The Production Process
Calling It Cotton: Labeling and Advertising Cotton Products

The Textile Act and Rules cover fibers, yarns and fabrics, and household textile products made from them, like clothing and accessories, draperies, floor coverings, furnishings and beddings. If the item contains wool, the Wool Act and Rules apply instead of the Textile Act and Rules.

This article explains what information must be included on labels and in written advertisements if you mention the presence of specific kinds of cotton in textile products.

Fiber Content Statement

Any product covered by the Textile Act and Rules must include a fiber content statement that lists:

•the generic name of each fiber that equals 5% or more of the product's weight, in order of predominance, and the percentage of the product's weight represented by each fiber. For example: "85% Cotton, 15% Polyester."

Fibers that are less than 5% of the weight should be listed as "other fiber[s]". Fibers that have functional significance, even in small amounts, may be listed by name.

For example: "96% Cotton, 4% Spandex."

A product should not be labeled "100% Cotton" unless it contains only cotton (or only cotton with some non-cotton “trim”). For more information about textile labeling requirements, see Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts.

The fiber content statement may include the name of a type of cotton, the cotton trademark or a term that implies the presence of a type of cotton. The statement must be truthful and not deceptive. If you use a cotton name, trademark, or other term that implies the presence of a type of cotton, you must use the generic fiber name "cotton" with it.

For example, "100% Sea Island Cotton," "50% Pima Cotton, 50% Upland Cotton," "85% Egyptian Cotton, 15% Silk."

You must use type of the same size and conspicuousness for the required fiber content information. The type must be reasonably easy to read. For example, "50% EGYPTIAN COTTON, 50% OTHER COTTON" is permissible; "50% EGYPTIAN COTTON, 50% other cotton" is not. If your product contains more than one kind of cotton, the fiber content statement doesn't have to specify the name and percentage of each cotton type.

For example, the product may be labeled "All Cotton" or "100% Cotton."

If the label of a product made from various kinds of cotton names a cotton type, it must give the cotton's percentage by weight and make clear that other types of cotton also were used to make the product. For example, a sheet that contains 65% Pima Cotton and 35% Upland Cotton may be labeled "100% Cotton," "100% Cotton (65% Pima Cotton)," "65% Pima Cotton, 35% Upland Cotton," or "65% Pima Cotton, 35% Other Cotton."

If your product contains more than one kind of cotton, a content statement that claims the product is made of only one type of cotton is not acceptable.

For example, when a sheet contains 50% Egyptian Cotton and 50% Upland Cotton, a fiber content label that reads, "100% Egyptian Cotton," is unacceptable.

Use of a Trademark

A fiber trademark or other term must not be used to imply the presence of a fiber that's not actually in the product.

For example, a trademark like "Pimalux" (a fictitious trademark) can’t be used if the textile product doesn’t contain pima cotton.

A trademark or other term that implies that a product is wholly made of one kind of cotton may not be used when the product is made of more than one kind of cotton, or when it contains fibers other than cotton.

For example, "Pimalux Towel - 100% Cotton" would not be an acceptable disclosure for a product made of 50% Pima Cotton, 50% Upland Cotton because the statement falsely implies that all the cotton in the towel is pima cotton. An acceptable fiber content statement for this product would be "Pimalux Towel - 50% Pima Cotton, 50% Upland Cotton."

Towels

If both loops and ground of a towel are cotton, manufacturers may still want to distinguish between the fiber of the loops and the fiber of the ground, especially if the loops are made of a premium cotton like Pima.

For example, a label saying "100% Cotton, 100% Pima Cotton Loops" or "100% Cotton, Pima Cotton Loops" is acceptable, assuming the statement is truthful. A label saying "100% Pima Cotton" or simply "Pima Cotton" would not be acceptable if only the loops were Pima and the ground was another kind of cotton.

If the loops and the ground of a towel are not the same generic fiber, the label must take into account the fiber weight of each.

For example, if the loops are cotton and the ground is polyester and each comprises 50% of the weight, the label could say “50% Cotton, 50% Polyester."

If the manufacturer wants to show the fiber of the loops separately, the label should disclose: "100% Cotton loops, 100% Polyester ground (loops 50% of fabric, ground 50%)."

A label reflecting only the content of the pile or the back is not acceptable.

For example, when towel loops are 100% Pima Cotton, and the base fabric is 100% Upland Cotton, a label that says only "100% Pima Cotton" or "100% Pima Cotton Loops" is unacceptable.

Including non-required information

Some information is considered non-required. For example, any reference to a type of cotton that isn't part of the required fiber content statement, but appears on the same label, is non-required information. Non-required information must not:

•interfere with, minimize, detract from or conflict with the required information and

•be false or deceptive as to fiber content.

For example, if the required fiber content statement says "70% Pima Cotton, 30% Upland Cotton," the non-required phrase "Pimalux Towel" must not interfere or detract from it, or be false or deceptive by, for example, falsely implying that the towel is 100% Pima Cotton.

If an item has a label that includes the required fiber content statement, its hang-tag may identify and describe one or more fibers. The item’s hang-tag doesn’t have to include the full fiber content statement if it:

•tells consumers to see the label for the full fiber content, or

•states that it doesn’t disclose the product’s full fiber content.

The disclosures aren’t required on a hang-tag that identifies the only fiber in an item. However, the label disclosing the full fiber content for such an item must state that the product is “All” or “100%” of the fiber, as required by the Rules. The fiber content information on a hang-tag must not be false or deceptive.



Items containing wool

If the item also contains wool, the same labeling requirements apply, with these exceptions:

•the wool content must be identified even if the wool accounts for less than 5%

•the fibers don’t need to be listed in descending order of predominance

Written Advertisements

An ad doesn't have to mention a product's fiber content or include the name of a particular kind of cotton, cotton trademark or other term implying the presence of a type of cotton. But if it does, it must include the required fiber content information with fibers listed in order of predominance by weight. The percentages of fibers don't have to be included.

For example, "Fine Pima Blend Fabric (Pima Cotton, Upland Cotton)" is permissible in an ad for a product whose label reads "90% Pima Cotton, 10% Upland Cotton." "Pimalux Towel (Pima Cotton, Upland Cotton)" is permissible in an ad for a towel whose label reads "70% Pima Cotton, 30% Upland Cotton."

All required fiber information must appear together in the ad in type of the same size and conspicuousness and that is reasonably easy to read.

Any reference in an ad to fiber content, including the name of a particular kind of cotton, a cotton trademark or other term implying the presence of a type of cotton, must not be false, deceptive or misleading as to fiber content.

If your ad uses the name of a particular type of cotton, a cotton trademark or other term implying the presence of a type of cotton, include that information on the product’s content label.
The Cotton Plant

  Cotton Plant and its different parts

  The cotton plant belongs to the genus Gossypium of the family Malvaceae (mallow family); the same family as hollyhock, okra and hibiscus. It is generally a shrubby plant having broad three-lobed leaves and seeds in capsules, or cotton bolls; each seed is surrounded with downy fibre, white or creamy in colour and easily spun. The fibres flatten and twist naturally as they dry. There are different species of Cotton - Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium barbadense, Gossypium herbaceum and Gossypium arboreum, the first two species being the most commonly cultivated. Click to download information leaflet
Cotton - Farm to Fabric

 

 
 
Botanical Names
Family
Chromosome
Number

Plant Height
Fibre Property
Span Length

Fibre Quality
Ginning %
Easy Picking
Crop
Duration (days)

Gossypium hirsutum
&
Gossypium barbadense
Malvacae
(Mallow family)
2n=52
4-5 ft

28 to 30 mm

36 to 37 %
ü
130- 225
Gossypium arboreum
&
Gossypium herbaceum
Malvaceae (Mallow family)
2n=26
3-9 ft

24 to 28 mm

24 to 36 %
ü
135- 250
 

Cotton needs a lot of sun to grow and successfully cultivated in areas with well-distributed rainfall. Nearly all commercial production comes from varieties of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), but small quantities are obtained from sea-island and American-Egyptian cotton (both belonging to the species Gossypium barbadense). Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium herbaceum are species that are cultivated in some parts of Asia.

Cotton is grown between 37 degrees North at Ukraine and 30 degrees south in Australia in warm, frost free, sunny climate. Cotton requires a lot of sunshine temperatures between 60 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (16-35 degrees Celsius). The major cotton producing ______ are United States


    Top 10 Cotton States in Production / Total Number of Bales in 2012
    1.Texas 6,725
    2.Georgia 2,400
    3.Arkansas 1,200
    4.California 1,145
    5.Mississippi 1,100
    6.North Carolina 950
    7.Missouri 675
    8.Arizona 658
    9.Tennessee 590
    10.Alabama 580
Asia
    Punjab, Sindh, Uzbekistan,Turkey, and Greece.
Africa
    Egypt
Latin
Australia

A cotton plant starts from seeds. The seeds germinate in 5 to 10 days and the cotton plant begins its growth with two cotyledons (the seed leaves that form nodes opposite each other at the base of the main stem) until the plant forms true leaves( leaves produced subsequent to the cotyledons). Cotton has a tap root system and roots go deeper into the soil for search of nutrients. Development of a healthy root system for acquiring soil nutrients is vital to feed the growing plant.

Stem & branches:
As a cotton plant begins to grow, it develops a series of nodes up the main stem. Beginning with the fifth or sixth node, the plant begins to form fruiting branches, which bear the cotton fruit. Typically, cotton plant will continue to add nodes and fruiting branches for a total of 16 to 22 nodes, with 12 to 16 fruiting branches. Leaves:
Leaves provide carbohydrate energy supply for adding nodes and branches and for growing bolls. Photosynthesis converts light energy to chemical energy that is stored as sugars in the plant. All plant metabolic reactions are dependent on this energy source.
Roots:
Cotton has a tap root system and the roots can be as deep as 10 inches in the first 3 weeks. Roots can grow upto 2 inches per day during the early stages of cotton, making them twice as long as the plant height. When plants begin to set bolls, root growth slows abruptly.
Reproductive Stage- Squares, Bolls and Fruits:
The flower bud that first appears on the plant when reproductive growth begins is called a 'square'. The flower bud is enclosed by three bracts. Squares grow for about three weeks before a flower appears. Cream or yellow flowers open during early morning hours. During this time the male and female flower parts expand rapidly. The flower petals turn pink on the second day and later dry up and drop off and then form a cotton boll. The cotton plant is constantly adding squares to the plant and then aborting squares or young bolls to balance out the demand of the growing boll load. Boll retention should begin near the level of square retention and show a gradual decline throughout the bloom period as the plant reaches its capacity for supplying bolls with carbohydrates.