by johnah on November 4, 2020
Cotton Plant Info For Kids – Teaching Kids How To Grow Cotton:
The cotton plant grows from a single stem. Its leaves are small and flat, with five petals that open up to reveal a white center.
They have six stamens (the flowers) which produce yellowish seeds called bolls or culms. The seeds are usually attached to the stalk, but sometimes they fall off during growth. Cotton plants have two types of leaves; the upper leaf surface is edible while the lower one is not. The edible part of the leaf contains several different substances including proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins.
When it comes to growing cotton, there are many things that need to be considered such as soil type, temperature range and light intensity. Some other factors include watering schedule and fertilizing practices.
There are many varieties of cotton, but the most common ones are the “dwarf” variety and the “Indian” variety.
Dwarf Cottons:
These are produced in India and Bangladesh. These cottons have a height of only 3 feet (1 meter).
They grow best in cool climates like those found in South Asia. They require a moist soil with good drainage. They contain small seeds.
Indian Cottons:
These types of cotton are very similar to the dwarf cottons. They too can grow in a 3 feet (1 meter) high plant.
These are made up of short fibers and have a strong density. They also contain small seeds and can grow in warm climates as well as cool ones. They produce good quality fabrics.
Upland Cottons:
These types of cotton are native to the Americas. They can grow up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) high and contain large seeds.
The leaves are bigger than both the other types. These types of cotton grow best in warm climates. They require a lot more sunlight to grow effectively.
Sea Island Cotton:
This type of cotton is native to the southern part of the United States and also the Bahamas. This type of cotton requires the most sunlight to grow.
They also require salt water to thrive. They are the whitest and most delicate, needing extra care in combing and spinning.
Parasites And Diseases:
If you’re going to plant cotton, you might have to worry about parasites and diseases. There are several types of bugs and diseases that target the cotton plant.
If left untreated, these can destroy your entire cotton crop.
Some common bugs that target cotton are the cotton bollworm, corn earworm, tobacco budworm and the pink bollworm. The disease of pink bollworm causes a wilt, preventing the plant from thriving.
These are both contact diseases. The tobacco budworm spreads mainly on infected cotton seed. The corn earworm spreads on both infected seeds and by air. The tobacco budworm can also spread on tobacco leaves.
Insecticides and fungicides can be used to combat these diseases and bugs. There are also some natural predators that control the population of these including several types of wasps.
Purchasing Cotton:
When purchasing cotton, you need to make sure that it’s good quality. Before buying it, squeeze the material.
If you hear a squeak, it’s bad quality. Look at the material too. If it’s very yellow and has a prominent shine, it’s bad quality.
After you purchase it, you need to process it. You can spin the cotton into thread yourself or have someone else do it.
After this, you can then weave the thread into cloth.
Cotton processing and manufacturing is a rather simple process. If you want to get into the industry, it won’t break your bank and should allow you to turn a nice profit.
Profit:
Your profit will depend on several factors such as the economy, how much you’re willing to invest in the equipment and building, wage of workers and so on. If you’re very thrifty and have everything running smoothly, you could see a high return.
However, there’s always a risk that something can go wrong that could result in a loss. It’s up to you to decide how much of a risk taker you want to be.
In any case, the profit you can make from this industry could be very large. It can exceed millions of dollars if run correctly.
You could also lose millions if you’re not careful.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand the cotton industry. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them here.
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Sources & references used in this article:
New small learning communities: Findings from recent literature. by K Cotton – 2001 – ERIC
Stress and student job design: Satisfaction, well-being, and performance in university students by SJ Cotton, MF Dollard, J De Jonge – International Journal of Stress …, 2002 – Springer
Teaching professionalism in the early years of a medical curriculum: a qualitative study by K Cotton – 1996 – ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural …
Expectations and student outcomes by J Goldie, A Dowie, P Cotton, J Morrison – Medical education, 2007 – Wiley Online Library
A high-throughput Arabidopsis reverse genetics system by K Cotton, KR Wikelund – 1989 – educationnorthwest.org
Gods promise to His plantation by …, P Ho, J Bacwaden, C Ko, JD Clarke, D Cotton… – The Plant …, 2002 – Am Soc Plant Biol
Breaking the land: The transformation of cotton, tobacco, and rice cultures since 1880 by J Cotton – 1894 – digitalcommons.unl.edu
The truth about smartphone addiction by P Daniel – 1986 – books.google.com
Developing Education Capacity in the Australian Cotton Industry by R Emanuel, R Bell, C Cotton, J Craig… – College Student …, 2015 – ingentaconnect.com
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