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Key Points and Methods of Cotton Cultivation Techniques Explained

Growing Techniques By Emily Carter 0 views
Cotton and Linen



Cotton is the seed fiber of plants in the genus Gossypium of the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to the subtropics. The plant is shrub-like and can grow to 6 m tall when cultivated in tropical regions, generally 1 to 2 m.

The flowers are milky white, turning dark red shortly after blooming and then withering, leaving behind small green capsules called cotton bolls. Inside the boll are cotton seeds, and the down on the seeds grows out from the seed coat and fills the interior of the boll; when the boll matures it splits open, revealing the soft fibers. The fibers are white or white with a yellow tinge, about 2 to 4 cm long (0.75-1.5 in), containing about 87-90% cellulose, 5-8% water, and 4-6% other substances. The countries with the highest cotton yields include China, the United States, India and others.

Cultivation methods:


1. Deep plowing: Winter plowing can reduce bacteria, diseases and insect pests. Spring plowing should be early, increasing sunlight for good seedling establishment; deep plowing increases disease resistance, promotes early development at the seedling stage, and leads to deep roots and lush leaves. 


2. Scientific fertilization: Apply sufficient base fertilizer, mainly organic fertilizer, and topdress promptly at the flowering and boll stage, taking care to meet phosphorus and potassium fertilizer needs. 

3. Soil moisture is the key to seedling emergence: winter irrigation or spring irrigation. Water is the source of life and also the key to plant seedling emergence; sufficient water means good soil moisture and full seedling retention. 

4. Sow at the right time: The optimal temperature for sowing and seedling emergence is 23 to 25 degrees; mixing seed with Xin Gao Zhi Mo can prevent disease and raise the germination rate. After sowing, when moisture is insufficient, spraying Xin Gao Zhi Mo solution can preserve warmth and increase soil moisture. 

5. Reasonable plant and row spacing: For equal-row sowing, 60 to 70 cm for low fertilizer and water conditions, 70-80 cm for medium fertilizer and water conditions, and 80 to 90 cm for high fertilizer and water land; plant numbers per mu, about 3000 plants for low fertilizer and water land, about 2500 plants for medium fertilizer and water land, and about 2000 plants for high fertilizer and water land. 

6. Pruning: Each year, depending on how much rain falls, whether the soil moisture is wet or dry, and the degree of chemical control, equal-row planting can skip pruning, while wide-narrow row planting can be pruned directionally, removing branches from the narrow rows and keeping branches from the wide rows. Pruning leads to heavier disease, while skipping pruning leads to lighter disease. 

7. Chemical control throughout the whole period: When cotton has 7 to 10 true leaves, spraying Zhuang Jing Ling solution can promote rooting and strengthen seedlings, and thicker leaves reduce insect damage; at the flower bud stage, young boll stage, and cotton boll swelling stage, spray cotton Zhuang Di Ling solution once each time, adjusting flexibly throughout the whole growth period; when there is much rain and the soil is wet, use a larger amount, and when there is no rain and the land is dry, use a smaller amount; small amounts applied multiple times are best, and the final chemical control is best when plant height is about 1 m. 

8. Watering in drought: When drought occurs, watering should be on the small side; if the amount of water is too large, cotton plants easily form growth hormone and show excessive growth; if the drought is severe and the amount of water is too large, too much growth hormone is converted, and flower and bud drop occurs after watering; before watering, first spray cotton Zhuang Di Ling solution, which can effectively control excessive growth after watering. 

9. Pest control: The pests currently harming cotton include cotton bollworm, mirid bugs, thrips, whitefly, cotton spider mite, weevils and many other pests. For cotton bollworm control, pay attention to pest forecasts and seize the peak period for control; mirid bugs are active by day and night, so spraying before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. gives good results, and spraying at night under a moonlit sky is best. When sowing, use Lorsban and spray it together with insecticide, paying attention to the control of underground pests. Spraying Xin Gao Zhi Mo solution can improve the cotton plant's absorption and utilization of the pesticide and reduce the amount of pesticide used. 

10. Disease prevention first: In heavily diseased plots, when sowing, cotton disease treatment chemicals can be mixed with Xin Gao Zhi Mo for seed dressing (not seed soaking) for faster emergence, vigorous seedlings, and fewer diseased seedlings; during the seedling stage, regularly spray cotton disease treatment chemicals. 

11. Topping at the right time: For vegetative branches (sliding shoots), depending on water, fertilizer and growth vigor, top 3-5 fruit branches in time to promote fruit branch growth; top the main stem around July 15, and after topping, spray foliar fertilizer in time to accelerate the growth of upper fruit branches; after 5-7 days, spray cotton Zhuang Di Ling solution and top at the same time as applying insecticide.


Economic value:

Cotton is one of the world's most important crops; large yields and low production costs make cotton products relatively inexpensive. Cotton fabric is strong and wear-resistant, can be washed and ironed at high temperatures, and cotton cloth is comfortable to wear because it absorbs and releases moisture quickly. If good warmth retention is required, the fabric surface can be raised by brushing. Through other finishing processes, cotton fabric can also be made stain-resistant, waterproof and mildew-resistant; its wrinkle resistance can be improved so that cotton fabric needs little or even no ironing; and shrinkage during washing can be reduced so that the shrinkage rate does not exceed 1%.

Cotton can be made into fabrics of various specifications. Cotton fabric is strong and wear-resistant, and can be washed and ironed at high temperatures. Cotton cloth absorbs and releases moisture quickly, making it comfortable to wear. Both the main and by-products of cotton have high utilization value; as predecessors said, "the whole cotton plant is a treasure." It is not only the most important fiber crop, but also an important oil crop, a high-protein food crop, and also a raw material for textiles and fine chemicals and an important strategic material. Therefore, efforts must be made to increase cotton production, do a good job in comprehensive utilization, and increase output and value, so as to increase cotton farmers' income and meet the many needs of national economic development.


Cotton is also an important nectar source plant:
Cotton has 3 kinds of nectaries in total: leaf vein nectaries, bract nectaries and nectaries inside the flower, and the leaf vein nectaries often secrete nectar before flowering. The flowering period of cotton in the provinces of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is from late July to early September, in the provinces of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River from early July to early August, and in Xinjiang Turpan from mid-July to early September. The main nectar flow period is about 40 days, and the suitable temperature for nectar secretion is 35°C. In the Xinjiang cotton region, colonies generally produce 10-30 kg of honey, with the highest reaching 150 kg. In other cotton regions, because pesticides are frequently applied during the flowering period, bees are harmed too heavily and the utilization value of the nectar source is greatly reduced, with colony production generally at 10-20 kg. Since the 1980s, the national cotton area has grown relatively quickly, and some provinces and regions have actively promoted biological control technology; it has become a major local nectar source in summer and autumn.


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