Successful cultivation of cotton, requires a long frost-free period of about 150 up to 200 days, plenty of sunshine, and a moderate rainfall.
Cotton is produced by small trees and shrubs which bears the botanical name Gossypium. The plant has certainly been grown and used in India for at least 5000 years and probably for much longer. Cotton was used also by the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and North and South Americans.
Cotton is grown in over 60 countries. About 90 percent is produced in the Northern Hemisphere and 10 percent in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 95 percent of cotton worldwide is of upland style, with a staple length between 1 inch and 1-5/32 of an inch. The balance is extra long staple cotton.
Cotton producing areas in India are spread throughout the country. Panjab, Hariyana, Rajasthan, Maharastra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are the major cotton producing states.
Cotton is sown around May & June and harvested around sept. to Dec. in different parts of the country.
Approximately 95 percent of the cotton in the United States is now harvested mechanically with spindle-type pickers or strippers. However in India still maximum cotton is harvested by manual plucking.
The spinning mill converts the cotton fiber into yarn which is used for weaving or knitting of fabric.
In spite of the challenges by manmade fibers, cotton kept its strong position among the textile fibers due to its special characteristics. It absorbs humidity well, it is not easily flammable, it holds up well in daily use, and it is not electrostatic. Most importantly, it is a product of nature and very comfortable to wear.
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