Cotton
Leading Countries





1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
China
USA
India
Pakistan
Uzbekistan
Botany






A perennial
Coldest temps. 650F
Height = 2-5 feet
Deep tap root
Bolls
Squares
Heat Units







Planting to emergence
Emergence to squaring
Emergence to first bloom
Emergence to first open boll
Normal crop production
50
450
780
1,730
2,800
How to calculate heat units:
Daily low + daily high ÷ 2 – 600F = heat units
Varieties


Acala
Pima
Cultural Practices

Tillage




Planting



Rip
Disc
Seed bed (row spacing – 38” – 40”)
Depth, ¾ - 2 “
2-3 plants per foot
Crop Rotation

Follows Alfalfa or other legume
Fertilization
•
•
•
•
•
•
N, 80-120 lbs./ac
P, 18-20 lbs./ac
K, 18-20 lbs./ac
Note; to much N can cause rank growth.
Also amounts will depend on the soil type.
In addition, 60% of the mineral nutrients are taken
up between squares and boll formation.
Irrigation
•
•
•
The goal is to keep 50% field capacity or higher
through out the growing season.
You will apply, depending on the soil texture, 2-3.5
acre feet per season.
A plant during peak season can take up to .25 - .45
of an inch of water a day.
Growth and Development
•
•
•
•
•
Cotton matures 150 days after planting.
It emerges 7-10 days after planting.
Blooms early July.
First bolls open mid to late August.
Note: to prevent rank growth one might apply a
growth regulator such as; Pix, Mepex, Topit,
Mepichlor, ect..
Weed management
•
•
•
•
Early season weeds reduce yields due to the
competition for nutrients and light.
Late season weeds cause problems in harvesting
and quality.
Common herbicides; Prowl, Poast, Lorax, Fusilade
2000, & Round-up in Round-up ready varities.
Mechanical cultivation is a common practice.
Diseases






Fursaruim Wilt
Vericilium Wilt
Bacterial blight
Cotton-boll rots
Root-knot nematode
Root rot
Insects





Pink Bollworm
Boll Weevil
Aphid
Lygus
Mites
Harvesting





Defoliation
Why do we defoliate?
Picking
Modules
How does the cotton picker work?
Ginning


The cotton fibers are removed from the seed.
There are two different methods used and they
depend on the variety.
Grades of cotton

Grades are determined on;





Color
Ginning preparation
Maturity
Leaf and other foreign matter
There are 9 basic grades of cotton which are
broken into 43 different grades
Quality Grades

These are determined by;





Fiber length (staple) measured by a fibrograph
Length uniformity, measured by a high value
instrument
Fiber strength, measured by a high value
instrument
Fiber fineness and maturity, measured by a
micronaire instrument.
What is city cotton?
Terms








Square
Boll
Lock
Lint
Tagging
Rank growth
City cotton
Cotton seed






Seed cotton
Linters
Bale
Nip
Nap
Hue