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Cotton (from Arabic qutn) is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water. Under natural conditions, the cotton bolls will ...
King Cotton in Modern America: A Cultural, Political, and Economic History since 1945 (2010) excerpt; Riello, Giorgio. Cotton: The Fabric that Made the Modern World (2015) excerpt; Riello, Giorgio. How India Clothed the World: The World of South Asian Textiles, 1500–1850 (2013) Yafa, Stephen (2006). Cotton: The Biography of a Revolutionary ...
Organic cotton is generally defined as cotton that is grown organically in subtropical countries such as India, Turkey, China, and parts of the USA from non-genetically modified plants, and without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides [1] aside from the ones allowed by the certified organic labeling.
The United States exports more cotton than any other country, though it ranks third in total production, behind China and India. [1] Almost all of the cotton fiber growth and production occurs in the Southern United States and the Western United States, dominated by Texas, California, Arizona, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Gossypium hirsutum, also known as upland cotton or Mexican cotton, is the most widely planted species of cotton in the world. Globally, about 90% of all cotton production is of cultivars derived from this species. [2] In the United States, the world's largest exporter of cotton, it constitutes approximately 95% of all cotton production.
Natural color in cotton comes from pigments found in cotton; these pigments can produce shades ranging from tan to green and brown. [3] Naturally pigmented green cotton derives its color from caffeic acid, a derivative of cinnamic acid, found in the suberin (wax) layer which is deposited in alternating layers with cellulose around the outside of the cotton fiber.
Harvesting raw cotton is a resource intensive process that uses a lot of water, energy, and chemicals. [7] Cotton recycling mitigates wastage and can be a more sustainable alternative to disposal because products can be made out of existing textiles instead of raw materials, therefore, reducing the resources required to harvest raw cotton. [7]
A "bale of cotton" is also the standard trading unit for cotton on the wholesale national and international markets. Although different cotton-growing countries have their bale standards, for example, In the United States, cotton is usually measured at approximately 0.48 cubic meters (17 cu ft) and weighs 226.8 kilograms (500 pounds). [6]