Cotton Cultivation - Cotton Fibre, Cotton Crop, Cotton Fabric, Uses with FAQs,

Before going to cotton cultivation it is first needed to discuss cotton. Cotton is a seed hair fiber that requires 6 to 8 months to mature and is found in many of the subtropical areas of the world. It is a type of Kharif crop. Depending on the climatic conditions its time of sowing and harvesting differs. There are mainly three types of cotton they are; long-staple cotton, medium staple cotton, and short-staple cotton.

Cotton is a soft fiber and natural fibers have more efficiency than synthetic fibers. Cotton grows in a ball also called a protective case. And the fiber of cotton is pure cellulose. The cotton plant is a shrub type and is found commonly in India, America, Africa, and Egypt. The fiber of cotton is spun into thread or yarn and then it is used to make breathable textile. It is used in textile industries to make items of clothing. About 25 million tones of cotton is produced annually worldwide.

Cotton Plant

There are four species of cotton they are; Gossypium hirsutum commonly found in Central America, Southern Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Gossypium barbadense is commonly found in South America. Gossypium arboreum is commonly found in Pakistan and India. And Gossypium herbaceum is commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula and South Africa.

There are mainly two types of cotton: genetically modified and organic. The need for genetically modified cotton is because of the high use of pesticides. For reducing the use of pesticides genetically modified cotton is introduced. The very common and popular Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt cotton). Bt cotton produces a chemical that is harmful to only a small fraction of insects.

Bt cotton is harmless to butterflies, beetles, larvae of moths, flies, etc. For Bt cotton, the gene coding for Bt toxin is introduced to cotton. And thereby producing natural insecticide. There are many varieties of Bt cotton as well. Organic cotton is not genetically modified, that is the seed of which came from the cotton plant. All the Bt cotton has reduced the use of insecticides but it may cause environmental problems as well but organic cotton is very good eco friendly.

Also read -

• NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Chemistry
• NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry
• NCERT Solutions for All Subjects

Cotton cultivation in India

As we all know we get cotton from the fruit of the plant cotton. Cotton is mainly grown in black clayey soil with a climate of warmth. Cotton is commonly cultivated in Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. The seeds present in the cotton are fully developed to give cotton fiber. The processes involved in cotton cultivation are; Ginning, Spinning, Weaving, and Knitting.

• Ginning: The process of removing seeds from cotton pods is Ginning since the plant where cotton is picked contains seed. This process can be done with machines or by hand.
• Spinning: The conversion of fiber to yarn is spinning.
• Weaving: By arranging two yarns together fabric is obtained. And the process of making fabric is weaving.
• Knitting: This process is also similar to knitting but this involves the use of two yarns. This can be done with the help of a hand. The sweater is knitted this way.

Uses of cotton fibre

• Cotton can be used in many ways as a textile product.
• Absorbent, bath towels, blue jeans, socks, T-shirts, bedsheets, etc. are things made of cotton.
• The cotton fabrics have also asked the ability to be recycled or recovered from the used one while synthetic fibers cannot do this.
• It can also be blended with linen-producing fabrics. And the obtained fabric is more wrinkle-resistant and retains heat more effectively than the individual one.
• In addition to the application in the textile industry, it is also used for the manufacture of fishing nets, coffee filters, cotton paper, explosives manufacture, etc.

The cottonseed that is obtained after the ginning process can also be used to produce the oil from cottonseed and after finding it can be used as vegetable oil.

Cotton crop

The cotton crop is one of the cash crops of India. It plays a very important role in the agricultural and industrial sectors of our country. Cotton cultivation is providing 6 million farmers livelihood. About 6 % of the water for irrigation is used for cotton cultivation as cotton is a plant that is water thirsty. In India cotton is grown on a large scale in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. Among these States Gujarat is the largest producer of cotton.

The pH range that is suitable for the production of the cotton crop is between 6 and 8. Fertile, well-drained, friable and deep soils are good for cotton cultivation. The saline water or Sandy soils are not suitable for cotton cultivation. A very popular variety of RCH 134BT is Bt cotton which has an average yield of 11.5qtl/acre. There are so many other varieties of cotton, like white gold is a hybrid that is tolerant to leaf curl disease and has a yield of 6.5qtl/acre.

The perfect time of sowing for the cotton crop is between April mid-May. The seed of cotton is covered with short fibers especially in American cotton so before solving these fibers must be removed either by chemical or by a non chemical method. In the non chemical method, the seeds that are covered with the fibers are soaked overnight in water and taken in the next day which is then rubbed with wood dash and cow dung then let dry and sow the seed.

For the chemical method, the seeds that are covered with the fibers are mixed with concentrated sulphuric acid for 2-3minutes. Some of the major fertilizers that are used for a cotton crop are urea and DAP or SSP. The cotton crop needs proper irrigation. About 4-6 of irrigation is required for a cotton plant and it depends on the intensity of rainfall of that particular place. Some of the diseases affected by cotton plant fusarium wilt, Alternaria leaf spot, Cercospora leaf spot, Anthracnose, root rot, etc.

Also, students can refer,

• NCERT solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 15 Polymers
• NCERT Exemplar Class 12 Chemistry Solutions Chapter 15 Polymers
• NCERT notes Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 15 Polymers

Characteristics of cotton fabric.

Cotton fiber has a high moisture absorption with a density of 1.54 grams per centimeter cube. The shape of the fiber is uniform. The stability of cotton fibers is often high. Cotton fibers when coming in contact with acids, alkali is that it will weaken the fibers but there are no harmful effects. Prolonged exposure of about 150 degrees Celsius will decompose the cotton fiber. Cotton fibers burn with a yellow flame and the burning smell is like the burning of paper. The Ash obtained after the burning is fluffy and light with a grey color. Compared to other crops cotton has a complex structure.

Also check-

• NCERT Exemplar Class 11th Chemistry Solutions
• NCERT Exemplar Class 12th Chemistry Solutions
• NCERT Exemplar Solutions for All Subjects

NCERT Chemistry Notes:

• NCERT Notes Class 11th Chemistry
• NCERT Notes Class 12th Chemistry
• NCERT Notes For All Subjects