After cotton has been harvested, producers who use conventional tillage practices cut down and chop the cotton stalks. The next step is to turn the remaining residue underneath the soil surface. Producers who practice a style of farming called conservation tillage often choose to leave their stalks standing and leave the plant residue on the surface of the soil.
In the spring, farmers prepare for planting in several ways. Producers who plant using no-till or conservation tillage methods, use special equipment designed to plant the seed through the litter that covers the soil surface. Producers who employ conventional tillage practices, plow or “list” the land into rows forming firm seed-beds for planting. Producers in south Texas plant cotton as early as February. In Missouri and other northern parts of the Cotton Belt, they plant as late as June.
Seeding is done with mechanical planters which cover as many as 10 to 24 rows at a time. The planter opens a small trench or furrow in each row, drops in the right amount of seed, covers them and packs the earth on top of them. The seed is planted at uniform intervals in either small clumps (“hill-dropped”) or singularly (“drilled”). Machines called cultivators are used to uproot weeds and grass, which compete with the cotton plant for soil nutrients, sunlight and water.
About two months after planting, flower buds called squares appear on the cotton plants. In another three weeks, the blossoms open. Their petals change from creamy white to yellow, then pink and finally, dark red. After three days, they wither and fall, leaving green pods which are called cotton bolls.
Inside the boll, which is shaped like a tiny football, moist fibers grow and push out from the newly formed seeds. As the boll ripens, it turns brown. The fibers continue to expand under the warm sun. Finally, they split the boll apart and the fluffy cotton bursts forth. It looks like white cotton candy.
Since hand labor is no longer used in the U.S. to harvest cotton, the crop is harvested by machines, either a picker or a stripper. Cotton picking machines have spindles that pick (twist) the seed cotton from the burrs that are attached to plants’ stems. Doffers then remove the seed cotton from the spindles and knock the seed cotton into the conveying system.
Conventional cotton stripping machines use rollers equipped with alternating bats and brushes to knock the open bolls from the plants into a conveyor.
A second kind of stripper harvester uses a broadcast attachment that looks similar to a grain header on a combine. All harvesting systems use air to convey and elevate the seed cotton into a storage bin referred to as a basket. Once the basket is full, the stored seed cotton is dumped into a boll buggy, trailer or module builder.
FAQs
But cotton has uses and value beyond fiber in the form of cottonseed oil and meal, as well as other plant by-products, which add $1 billion annually. In many parts of the world, cotton is an economic essential: a cash crop that can thrive in hostile environments where food crops cannot flourish.
Why is cotton growing illegal? ›
Why is cotton growing restricted? Cotton plantings and residue can spread a destructive pest called the cotton boll weevil, especially when mishandled. In areas where cotton is an economically important crop, the growing of cotton is often carefully monitored to prevent the spread or reintroduction of the boll weevil.
Where does most cotton go after the gin? ›
After ginning, the cotton bales are ready for shipment—usually to a storage warehouse where bales are consolidated before being sent to a mill for further processing into textile and apparel products.
How much cotton did slaves pick? ›
In general, planters expected a good “hand,” or slave, to work ten acres of land and pick two hundred pounds of cotton a day. An overseer or master measured each individual slave's daily yield.
Why was cotton such an important factor in the revival of slavery? ›
Growing more cotton meant an increased demand for slaves. Slaves in the Upper South became incredibly more valuable as commodities because of this demand for them in the Deep South. They were sold off in droves. This created a Second Middle Passage, the second largest forced migration in America's history.
How did they increase production of the cotton? ›
In 1793, Eli Whitney revolutionized the production of cotton when he invented the cotton gin, a device that separated the seeds from raw cotton. Suddenly, a process that was extraordinarily labor-intensive when done by hand could be completed quickly and easily.
Why is cotton the dirtiest crop? ›
Conventional cotton farming uses a huge amount of pesticides. In fact, around 16% of all the pesticides sold in the world are used on cotton, which is why it's been called the 'world's dirtiest crop'. As well as killing the pests they're aimed at, these chemicals can harm other wildlife, including bees.
Are there still cotton farms in the US? ›
any Americans now wonder, does American still grow cotton? The simple answer is yes. Cotton requires a warm climate to grow and the reason for its production to be located in the southern states of America. The major cotton producing states include Texas, California, Arizona, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Why don't we eat cotton? ›
Your body can't digest cotton balls, so they'll remain in your stomach or intestines. They may mix with mucus and other food particles, creating a mass known as a bezoar. When something can't be digested, it can obstruct the digestive tract.
Which country has the best cotton in the world? ›
India. This nation has a long history of agriculture and a climate that is conducive to growing cotton. It is renowned for the best and highest-quality cotton items and is estimated to have a history of cotton production spanning more than three thousand years.
Texas. Texas produces more cotton than any other state in the United States. With eight production regions around Texas, and only four geographic regions, it is the state's leading cash crop.
How much is an acre of cotton worth? ›
In October, USDA projected the season-average cotton farm price for the 2022-23 marketing year at 90 cents per pound. For example, 900 pounds per acre at 90 cents per pound equals $810 per acre. It's not uncommon for farmers such as Carmack to produce 1,200 pounds or more per acre, on average.
What is a cotton picker called today? ›
The machine is also referred to as a cotton harvester.
What did slaves do when there was no cotton? ›
When they were not raising a cash crop, slaves grew other crops, such as corn or potatoes; cared for livestock; and cleared fields, cut wood, repaired buildings and fences.
At what age did slaves start working? ›
Enslaved children began to work between the ages of seven and ten. Enslaved women worked, even when they were pregnant, or were nursing their babies. Those that lived to be elderly had work assignments commensurate with their physical capabilities.
How can value be added to cotton at each stage of production? ›
Each stage of the supply chain adds value to the product. For example a spinning factory will buy in cotton and turn it into yarn. This will increase the value of the cotton as the yarn will have a greater value than the raw cotton.
What did the growth of cotton production caused a great demand for? ›
Cotton growing became so profitable for enslavers that it greatly increased their demand for both land and enslaved labor. In 1790, there were six "slave states"; in 1860 there were 15.
What did growing cotton do to soil and what did this mean for cotton production? ›
Soil Erosion and Degradation
Cotton cultivation severely degrades soil quality. Despite the global area devoted to cotton cultivation remaining constant for the past 70 years, cotton production has depleted and degraded the soil in many areas.
How is the cotton textile industry beneficial for the local people? ›
The cotton textile industry is vital for India's economy as it contributes significantly to the nation's GDP and employment. It also plays a crucial role in the rural economy, supporting millions of small farmers and labourers.
In the spring, farmers prepare for planting in several ways. Producers who plant using no-till or conservation tillage methods, use special equipment designed to plant the seed through the litter that covers the soil surface. Producers who employ conventional tillage practices, plow or “list” the land into rows forming firm seed-beds for planting. Producers in south Texas plant cotton as early as February. In Missouri and other northern parts of the Cotton Belt, they plant as late as June.
Seeding is done with mechanical planters which cover as many as 10 to 24 rows at a time. The planter opens a small trench or furrow in each row, drops in the right amount of seed, covers them and packs the earth on top of them. The seed is planted at uniform intervals in either small clumps (“hill-dropped”) or singularly (“drilled”). Machines called cultivators are used to uproot weeds and grass, which compete with the cotton plant for soil nutrients, sunlight and water.
plants. In another three weeks, the blossoms open. Their petals change from creamy white to yellow, then pink and finally, dark red. After three days, they wither and fall, leaving green pods which are called cotton bolls.
football, moist fibers grow and push out from the newly formed seeds. As the boll ripens, it turns brown. The fibers continue to expand under the warm sun. Finally, they split the boll apart and the fluffy cotton bursts forth. It looks like white cotton candy.
pick (twist) the seed cotton from the burrs that are attached to plants’ stems. Doffers then remove the seed cotton from the spindles and knock the seed cotton into the conveying system.
alternating bats and brushes to knock the open bolls from the plants into a conveyor.
