By Martin Guerena and

NCAT Agriculture Specialists

July 2003

CURRENT TOPIC

ORGANIC COTTON PRODUCTION

seed-hair fibre of a variety of plants of the genus Gossypium, belonging to the Malvaceae family, native to most subtropical countries. The shrubby plant, growing up to 6 m (20 feet) high in the tropics, characteristically ranges from 1 to 2 m in height when it is under cultivation. It produces creamy-white flowers, which soon turn deep pink and fall off, leaving the small green seedpods, known as cotton bolls, which contain the seeds. Seed hairs, or fibres, growing from the outer skin of the seeds, become tightly packed within the boll, which bursts open upon maturity, revealing soft masses of the fibres. These are white to yellowish white in colour, ranging from about 2 to 4 cm (0.75 to 1.5 inches) in length. They are composed of about 87 to 90 percent cellulose (a carbohydrate plant substance), 5 to 8 percent water, and 4 to 6 percent natural impurities.

منبع.