Cotton

Cotton is a globally significant fiber crop, grown across warm-temperate and tropical production regions and supporting a large downstream textile industry. Beyond fiber, the seed is processed into cottonseed oil, an edible vegetable oil, and cottonseed meal, a protein-rich livestock feed.

Production systems range from large, highly mechanized operations to smallholder cultivation, with input levels, irrigation, and pest-management approaches varying widely by region and production scale.

Family

Malvaceae (mallow family)

Genus

Gossypium

Principal species

Gossypium hirsutum (upland cotton) and Gossypium barbadense (extra-long-staple cotton)

Growth habit

Broadleaf annual (cultivated) shrub producing a fibrous boll around the seed

Cotton fiber was independently domesticated in more than one region of the world, including Mesoamerica, where Gossypium hirsutum was developed, and South America, associated with Gossypium barbadense, alongside separate domestications of other Gossypium species in the Old World.

Today cotton is grown across warm-temperate and tropical regions on multiple continents. Production and trade statistics are compiled by bodies such as FAO and USDA and should be taken from those primary datasets rather than assumed.

Cotton requires a long, warm, frost-free growing season, with germination and early growth sensitive to cool soil temperatures. Adequate heat accumulation over the season supports boll development and fiber maturation.

While cotton has some tolerance for heat, drought stress during flowering and boll development can reduce yield and fiber quality, making water availability at these stages a key management concern.

Cotton is grown across a wide range of soil textures, from sandy loams to heavier clay soils, reflecting its deep rooting habit and moderate tolerance of a range of soil conditions, including some salinity relative to many other row crops.

Cotton is planted after soils have warmed sufficiently for reliable germination, with plant population and row spacing set locally according to moisture availability, equipment, and expected boll load.

• Variety selection matched to fiber-quality target and disease/pest pressure
• Crop rotation to manage soil-borne diseases and weed pressure
• Seedbed preparation appropriate to the local tillage system
• Management of vegetative growth to avoid excessive "rank" growth that can delay boll set

Nitrogen supports vegetative growth and boll development but is balanced carefully, since excess nitrogen can promote excessive vegetative growth at the expense of boll set and delay maturity. Potassium is important for fiber quality and is often in high demand during late-season boll fill.

Cotton is grown both rain-fed and under irrigation, with furrow irrigation historically dominant in many production regions, alongside increasing use of more efficient methods such as drip and center-pivot systems.

Water demand peaks around flowering and boll development, and drought stress during this window can reduce both yield and fiber quality.

Fusarium wilt is a significant soil-borne fungal disease of cotton in many production regions, while bacterial blight can cause foliar and boll lesions under favorable conditions. Aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites are among the key insect and mite pests, with whiteflies also known for producing sticky honeydew that can stain lint.

Management combines resistant varieties, rotation, monitoring against locally established thresholds, and — where justified — locally authorized control products applied according to their labels.

Cotton bolls are harvested once open and the fiber has dried, typically after the crop has been defoliated to ease mechanical picking. Harvested seed cotton is then ginned to separate lint from seed before further processing.

• Textile fiber (lint) for yarn and fabric production
• Cottonseed oil as an edible vegetable oil
• Cottonseed meal as a protein source in livestock feed
• Linters (short fibers) used in cellulose-based products