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Cotton Industry-Project Report
Where was cotton first known to be cultivated?
Name the major cotton producing areas of the world?
Who invented the cotton gin and when?
What are cotton locks called after removal from the cotton bur?
What process is used to separate cottonseed from fiber?
What is cotton fiber called after separated from the seed?
How is cotton harvested in modernized ______?
How was cotton first harvested?
What is a popular term used for cotton?
What is wild cotton?
Which varieties of cotton are the most common?
What are cotyledons?
What do cotyledons help provide for a young plant?
What is photosynthesis?
Name the various parts of the cotton plant?
Name the components of the dry mature cotton boll?
What is a seedbed?
What is listing?
What is irrigation?
Name three methods of irrigation?
What is rain-feed farming?
Name three methods of weed control in a cotton field?
Describe each method of weed control?
What does a cotton planter do?
List two methods of planting?
What is a crop consultant?
How are insect pests controlled or eliminated?
Define I.P.M.?
What is fertilizer?
Name insect pests that plague cotton fields?
What are beneficial insects called?
What does a defoliant do?
What is the picker head of a cotton picker?
Name some components of the picker head?
Describe the mechanics of the picking components?
Name the two types of gins?
Briefly explain the mechanics of each type of gin?
What is a module builder?
Name the ginning process for short staple lint and for long staple lint?
Why are huge dryers used in the ginning process?
What is raw fiber called after ginning?
What becomes of the seed and fiber after separation?
What is lint packaged for market called?
How many pounds are in a bale?
What are the measurements of a universal density bale?
What is classing?
Where is Yarn and cloth fabricated?
What happens in the opening room of a textile mill?
Define carding?
What is a sliver?
Describe combing?
What is roving?
What is the final process in yarn manufacturing?
Describe the spinning process?
What two names is yarn called during and after the weaving process?
What adds strength to the yarn before weaving?
Name the three basic weaves?
Briefly describe the three basic weaves?
Name another method of turning yarn into fabric using needles?
How is knit fabric constructed?
Explain the two basic types of knit fabrics?
Name two types of cottonseed oil mills?
Explain how solvent extraction and screw press mills differ?
Describe the first step in processing cottonseed for oil extraction?
How many times is the delinting process done at the cottonseed oil mill?
Name products produced from the first cut and second cut linters?
What is the tough outer shell of the cottonseed called?
Name the inside meat of the cottonseed rich in oil?
Explain the flaking roller and cooker processes in oil extraction?
What is miscella?
What is cottonseed meal?
Explain the refining and deodorizing of cottonseed oil for food?
How is Cotton Processed?
What is Organically Grown Cotton?
What is a module?
How is cotton harvested?
What is produced from a bale of cotton?
What is a boll weevil?
What is transgenic cotton?
How much does a bale of cotton weigh?
Do you have any questions for us?
Do you have better answer?
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Where was cotton first known to be cultivated?

Name the major cotton producing areas of the world?

Who invented the cotton gin and when?

What are cotton locks called after removal from the cotton bur?

Seed cotton

What process is used to separate cottonseed from fiber?

Ginning

What is cotton fiber called after separated from the seed?

Lint

How is cotton harvested in modernized _______?

Mechanical spindle pickers or brush strippers harvest cotton.

How was cotton first harvested?

By hand

What is a popular term used for cotton?

"White Gold"

What is wild cotton?

Cotton that grows uncultivated in the world.

Which varieties of cotton are the most common?

Upland and Pima

What are cotyledons?

Seedling leaves, first to appear on the cotton plant.

What do cotyledons help provide for a young plant?

Cotyledons help produce food for the young plant through photosynthesis.

What is photosynthesis?

The process that uses the chlorophyll in plants to convert sunlight to carbohydrates.

Name the various parts of the cotton plant?

Leaves, squares, flower, boll, bracts, locks, carpel and bur.

Name the components of the dry mature cotton boll?

The bur is made of dried carpels and cotton locks.

What is a seedbed?

The row or ridge in which the cotton seeds will be planted.

What is listing?

Forming the land into ridges and furrows.

What is irrigation?

Adding moisture to the soil by artificial means.

Name three methods of irrigation?

Furrow, sprinkler and drip tape irrigation

What is rain-feed farming?

Depending entirely on rainfall for moisture needed for plant growth.

Name three methods of weed control in a cotton field?

Mechanical cultivation, hand rogueing and herbicides.

Describe each method of weed control?

Cultivation-Uses a mechanical implement to loosen the soil and remove weed. Hand rogueing-Is physical labor using a weed hoe to remove weeds. Herbicides-Uses chemicals to control weeds.

What does a cotton planter do?

Mechanically places the seed in the soil.

List two methods of planting?

Hand planting and mechanical

What is a crop consultant?

A person who monitors a field for pests and recommends treatment if necessary.

How are insect pests controlled or eliminated?

By the use of insecticide or predator insects.

Define I.P.M.?

Integrated Pest Management is the use of beneficial insects to help control the harmful insect (pest) population.

What is fertilizer?

Plant food or nutrients added to the crop to enhance growth.

Name insect pests that plague cotton fields?

Aphid, mite, bollworms, boll weevil, lygus, thrip, white fly and pink bollworms.

What are beneficial insects called?

Predator insects

What does a defoliant do?

Aids in the cotton harvest by causing the plant's leaves to dry and fall off.

What is the picker head of a cotton picker?

The unit of the cotton picker that contains the picking components.

Name some components of the picker head?

Spindles, picking bar, moistener pads, doffer, and picker door

Describe the mechanics of the picking components?

Spindles-Barbed steel units that revolve to grab and pull the lint from the opened bolls.

Picking bar-A vertical bar that contains 18-20 spindles.

Moistener pads-Small finned pads which add moisture to the spindles and help clean them.

Doffer-A series of circular rubber pads that clean cotton from the spindles.

Picker door-A place on the machine where cotton drops before being blown into the picker basket.

How is a stripper harvester different from a mechanical cotton picker?

A stripper strips opened and unopened bolls from the plant instead of "plucking" the cotton from the bur

Name the two types of gins?

Roller and saw gin

Briefly explain the mechanics of each type of gin?

Roller Gin-Uses a roller to grab and pull the fiber under a rotating bar with gaps too small for the seed to pass through.

Saw Gin-Uses curricular saws that grip the fiber and pull it through narrow slots too small for the seed to pass.

What is a module builder?

An implement that forms modules (or tightly pressed stacks) of cotton.

Name the ginning process for short staple lint and for long staple lint?

Short staple-Saw ginning and long staple-Roller ginning

Why are huge dryers used in the ginning process?

To reduce moisture and improve fiber quality of the cotton lint.

What is raw fiber called after ginning?

Cotton lint

What becomes of the seed and fiber after separation?

Seed goes to cottonseed oil mills or for livestock feed. The fiber goes to textile mills or foreign countries.

What is lint packaged for market called?

A bale of cotton

How many pounds are in a bale?

Approximately 500 pounds

What are the measurements of a universal density bale?

55" tall, 28" wide and 21" thick #

Describe what linters are?

The short, fuzzy fibers still attached to the seed after ginning.

What is classing?

The process which measures fiber characteristics against a set of standards.

Where is Yarn and cloth fabricated?

A textile mill

What happens in the opening room of a textile mill?

Bales of lint are opened and placed in a row.

Define carding?

The process of pulling the fibers into parallel alignment to form a thin web.

What is a sliver?

The first step of turning lint into yarn. Fibers that have been pulled into a continuous, untwisted, rope-like strand.

Describe combing?

The process which removes impurities and fibers shorter than ½" from the cotton, so that smoother and more uniform yarn may be produced.

What is roving?

Sliver which has been drawn out to a thinner strand and given a slight twist to improve strength.

What is the final process in yarn manufacturing?

Spinning

Describe the spinning process?

The roving is drawn and twisted into a fine yarn and then wound onto bobbins.

What two names is yarn called during and after the weaving process?

Weft (filling) is the crosswise yarn and warp is the lengthwise yarn.

What adds strength to the yarn before weaving?

Warp yarns are coated with a sizing compound or starch mixture before weaving.

Name the three basic weaves?

Plain, twill and satin

Briefly describe the three basic weaves?

Plain-Weft yarn passes over and under each warp yarn.

Twill-Yarns are interlaced in an angle to form straight, diagonal ridges.

Satin-Smooth surface is made up mostly of warp yarn passing over and under all but one yarn, intersecting in a regular of irregular formation, not a straight line.

Name another method of turning yarn into fabric using needles?

Knitting

How is knit fabric constructed?

Yarn is made into loops (stitches) which are linked together by the use of needles.

Explain the two basic types of knit fabrics?

Weft knit-Made on a circular needle machine producing fabric in a tubular form.

Warp knit-A single yarn is twisted and entwined in several directions lengthwise in an action similar to several yarns entering a machine.

Name two types of cottonseed oil mills?

Screw press and solvent extraction

Explain how solvent extraction and screw press mills differ?

Solvent extraction-Uses an organic solvent that dissolves the oil from the prepared meats (kernels).

Screw press-Uses high pressure created by a press to force the oil from the meats.

Describe the first step in processing cottonseed for oil extraction?

In the shaker room a series of screens and air equipment remove trash from the cottonseed. The seed is then sent to gin stands where the linters are removed from the seed and pressed into bales.

How many times is the delinting process done at the cottonseed oil mill?

Usually twice, or sometimes three times.

Name products produced from the first cut and second cut linters?

First cut-Non-chemical products (medical supplies, twine, candle wicks, etc.)

Second cut-Chemical products (foodstuff, film, paper, toiletries, etc.)

What is the tough outer shell of the cottonseed called?

The hull

Name the inside meat of the cottonseed rich in oil?

The kernel

Explain the flaking roller and cooker processes in oil extraction?

The prepared kernels pass through a series of heavy cast iron rollers that press the meats into thin flakes, then travel to a cooker to reduce their moisture level.

What is miscella?

A cottonseed oil and hexane (organic solvent) mixture

What is cottonseed meal?

The meats that have been de-oiled, dried and ground to produce high protein livestock feed.

Explain the refining and deodorizing of cottonseed oil for food?

Refiner-With the use of heat, sodium hydroxide and a centrifuge the dark oil is transformed into clear yellow oil.

Deodorize-Processes the oil for a lasting clear appearance and no unwanted flavor.

COTTON FACTS

Have you ever wondered.
How many finished textile products can be made from a typical 500 lbs. Bale of cotton lint? Below are a few examples of what might be made from a bale of cotton. (These numbers are approximations)

ITEM Per Bale
Men's dress and business shirts 800
Men's & boy's jeans 325
Ladies blouses and shirts 850
Ladies knit & woven dresses 350
Diapers 3,000
Pillowcases 1,200

How much cotton does it take? The following examples are estimated amounts of cotton required to make these common consumer items.
ITEM Per Bale
1 Pair Jeans 1.5 lbs. (24 oz.)
1 Man's Shirt .6 lbs. (10 oz.)
1 T-shirt .5 lbs. (8 oz.)
1 Diaper .15 lbs. (2.5 oz.)
1 Bath Towel .6 lbs. (10 oz.)

How is cotton processed? Cotton is one of our most ancient textiles. Only recently, though, has cotton processing become mechanized.

How is Cotton Processed?

First the cotton is harvested from the fields. The cotton seeds and fibers are put into a machine called a cotton gin. The cotton gin separates out the cotton fibers from the seedpods and seeds.

The fiber then goes to a cotton mill to be turned into cloth. The by-products are also used. The cotton seeds and pods are turned into feed for cattle or made into cottonseed oil. Left over lint is also used in paper.

At the cotton mill the raw cotton fiber is a light brownish color. To make it white, is is usually bleached using hydrogen peroxide. This powerful bleach then needs to be removed from the cotton fibers. This is to prevent it from reacting with any dyes that are used after to color the cotton.

The bleach is usually rinsed out of the cotton with water. As a rule of thumb, 40 liters of water per kg of fabric is used. This is a water intensive process. New methods bleach removal that are more economical with water have been developed. However, the industry is very large, and it may take some time before these methods are used in the mainstream.

The cotton fiber is spun and woven into fabric. Cotton can be turned into many types of fabric using pre-shrinking, printing, dying weaving and mixing techniqes.

Global Cotton Stats

Cotton is the biggest fiber crop in the world. It produces around half of the world's fiber needs. It is produced in more than 60 countries around the world. The biggest producers are the USA, China, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkey.

It is an important source of income for millions of small farmers. Cotton production is also a major player in the national economies of many developing countries.

The global cotton-growing area has not changed much in size since the 1930s. However the average cotton yields have tripled. This increase has been possible because of several changes in the way cotton is grown.

Farmers are using genetically modified cotton to produce more insect resistant crops. However cotton is vulnerable to insects. So large quantities of insecticides are still used to grow cotton. To get a perspective cotton accounts for about 25% of the global insecticides. By value cotton also makes up 10% of the world's pesticide market.

The disappearance of the Aral Sea - this disappearance was partly blamed on the production of cotton - one of the thirstiest crops. Cotton Links
The Story of Cotton
An overview of cotton making and a brief history of cotton - from ancient Egypt to today
National Cotton Council of America
Answers to most frequently asked cotton questions....

What is Organically Grown Cotton?

Organic agriculture prohibits the use of toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers, as well as genetically modified organisms. It seeks to build biologically diverse agricultural systems, replenish and maintain soil fertility, and promote a healthy environment.

Cotton is a fiber, feed and food crop.

The fiber of a thousand faces and almost as many uses, cotton is noted for its versatility, its appearance, its performance and–above all–its natural comfort. From all types of apparel...to sheets and towels...tarpaulins and tents...cotton in today's fast-moving world is still nature's wonder fiber, providing thousands of useful products and supporting millions of jobs as it moves year after year from field to fabric.

U.S. textile mills will spin almost 10 million bales of cotton this year. That's enough cotton to make almost 3 billion pairs of men's jeans and 8 billion men's dress shirts.

About two thirds of the harvested crop is composed of the seed, which is crushed to separate its three products–oil, meal and hulls. Cottonseed oil is a common component of many food items, used primarily as a cooking oil, shortening and salad dressing. The oil is used extensively in the preparation of such snack foods as crackers, cookies and chips. The meal and hulls are used as livestock, poultry and fish feed and as fertilizer.

The following are some of the frequently asked questions about cotton:

1. What state grows the most cotton?

Texas, which annually grows about 4.5 million bales of cotton, is the leading cotton-producing state.

2. What country grows the most cotton?

Historically, China is the largest grower . The Chinese produced approximately 20 million bales of cotton in 2000. The U.S. is second, with 17.2 million bales of production in 2000.

3. How much does a bale of cotton weigh?

A bale of cotton weighs about 500 pounds.

4. What is a module?

Once cotton is harvested, it is stored in modules –which hold 13 to 15 bales–for protection against the weather. Modules are stored in the field or on the gin yard until the cotton is ginned.

5. When is U.S. cotton planted?

Planting begins as early as Feb. 1 in South Texas and as late as June 1 in northern areas of the Cotton Belt.

6. How is cotton harvested?

Three mechanical systems are used to harvest cotton. Cotton picking machines use rotating spindles to pick (twist) the seed cotton from the burr. Doffers then remove the seed cotton from the spindles and drop the seed cotton into the conveying system. Cotton stripping machines use rollers equipped with bats and brushes to knock the open bolls from the plants into a conveyor. A third kind of harvester uses a broadcast attachment similar to a grain header on a combine. All harvesting systems uses air to elevate the seed cotton into a basket where it is stored until it can be dumped into a boll buggy, trailer or module builder.

7. When is U.S. cotton harvested?

Harvesting of the crop begins in July in South Texas and extends to late November in more northern climates.

8. Where is cotton grown in the U.S.?

Ninety-eight percent of the cotton is grown in 14 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The remaining 2 percent is grown in Kansas, Florida and Virginia.

9. What is produced from a bale of cotton?

One bale of cotton can make 1,217 men's T-shirts or 313,600 $100 bills. For a list of other items, click here.

10. How many cotton farms are there in the U.S.?

Cotton is produced on about 35,000 farms in the U.S.

11. How many acres of cotton are harvested each year in the U.S.?

In 2000, about 13.1 million acres were harvested, producing an estimated 17.2 million bales.

12. What is a boll weevil?

The boll weevil is the primary insect enemy of cotton. An adult is ¼ to ½ inch long, appearing tan to dark brown or gray in color, has a hard humpback-shaped shell and the characteristic snout accounting for about ¼ of its length. This pest has plagued U.S. cotton producers since 1892. It can complete an entire lifecycle in three weeks, lay 200 eggs per female–each in a separate cotton square or boll, ensuring the destruction of each–and spread rapidly, covering 40 to 160 miles per year.

13. What is transgenic cotton?

Transgenic cotton is a cotton variety genetically altered by the addition of foreign genetic material (DNA) from another variety. Examples include cotton that is resistant to certain insects or herbicides.

14. What percentage of the U.S. cotton crop is planted in transgenic varieties?

In 1998, 48.6 percent of the U.S. crop was planted in transgenic varieties. Of those, 22.8 percent was planted to herbicide-resistant varieties; 17.7 percent was planted to insect-resistant varieties; and 4.6 percent was planted to varieties having both insect- and herbicide-resistant traits.

Wool or Cotton?

Which fabric is best for the Earth?

Wool sweater.Is your sweater green enough?

With the February chill about to hit, I'm in the market for a cozy new sweater. Ordinarily I'd opt for wool, but I wonder whether all those methane-belching sheep are killing the planet. Cotton seems like a sensible alternative, but I'm sure it's not without its environmental drawbacks. So which fabric is greener, wool or cotton?

There's an apples-to-oranges aspect to your question, since wool and cotton have very different environmental downsides. With the former, as you note, the chief concern is methane; for the latter, it's nitrous oxide released by inorganic fertilizers. On top of that, not all wool or cotton is created equal; much depends on the technology employed in the fields or pastures. But the Lantern will take a stab at your query all the same, if only to highlight the ways in which agricultural minutiae can make a real environmental difference.

Sheep, like their bovine cousins, emit an appreciable amount of methane every day, thanks to the parasites that reside in their guts. Estimates vary widely, but the average sheep probably burps out 20 to 30 liters of methane per day—about a tenth of the amount released by a typical cow. These methane emissions are a particular problem in New Zealand, a major wool exporter with roughly 45 million sheep. More than half of the nation's overall greenhouse gas emissions stem from livestock flatulence. And as the Lantern has previously noted, methane is a particularly worrisome greenhouse gas, with a Global Warming Potential of 21 (versus a GWP of 1 for carbon dioxide).

Producing wool also requires a vast amount of water—not only to raise and care for the sheep, but also to rid the raw wool of numerous impurities. It takes approximately 500,000 liters of water to manufacture a metric ton of wool; this figure is even higher when the sheep in question are fed in confined quarters, where extra water is required to manage the manure.