Template:TitlePage Plant Spotlight
From Aggiegreenhouse
Plant Spotlight: Tues, Oct 20, 2009
It's that time of the year. No, not the holidays. It's the WINTER CROP time of the year. Let's get it started in here! But, don't get too excited. What grows in cold weather and has played a HUGE role in transforming the lives of people since the founding of the U.S.A.? You guess it: C-O-T-T-O-N. It is, "spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth in clothing today." Rayon came to us from France in the 1890s. Rayon oand other synthetics compete with the natural fiber of cotton. The USA is the world leader in cotton exports with average price received by farmers at $45.30 this year.
Leading cotton-producing countries
Top 3 cotton producers — 2009 (480-pound bales) | |
---|---|
PRC | 32.5 million bales |
IND | 24.3 million bales |
USA | 13.0 million bales |
Source:National Cotton Council of America - Rankings |