Added: 11/27/2005 |
Cotton Characteristics Impact the Quality and Durability of ClothingNowadays cotton is grown in many countries of the world (in Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia). This plant is considered to be one of the natural fibers of vegetable origin. It is mostly composed by cellulose and formed by ribbon-like, twisted shaped fibers. It's interesting to admit that cotton is the fruit of a shrubby plant belonging to the Malvacae family. This family comprises about 1.5 thousand species including the mallow (or bombax), baobab tree and others. The cotton tree has a relatively long life span and can last about ten years.
For those in the industry, it's common knowledge that tropical and subtropical territories are the best for growing cotton. But thanks to some specific cotton characteristics, its production isn't limited with the above-mentioned areas. Due to the emergence of new cotton varieties, coupled with advancements cotton cultivation techniques, there has been an expansion of the plant's culture. Nevertheless, it remains a sun-loving plant and vulnerable to sharp temperature changes. That's why some of the leading cotton growing countries today are the United States, Brazil, Turkey, Pakistan, India and China.
Today in the world, more cotton is being used than any other known fiber. The production of every annual cotton crop involves more than 5.4 billion US dollars worth of different services and suppliers.
Growing cotton is rather expensive. According to recent studies, in order to achieve perfect cotton characteristics; the growing of natural cotton requires both an intensive and extensive use of different defoliants, soil fertilizers and additives. That's the reason why many manufacturers of this light industry prefer to use cotton alternative with the same cotton characteristics. This alternative is organic cotton which provides growers with significant price premiums.
In spite of the fact that growing organic cotton may be demanding, if you have enough experience and commitment it can be easily accomplished. The yield of organic cotton will be as high as of the natural one. It's also very important that the quality and cotton characteristics are often equal or even better than that of conventionally grown cotton. The methods of organic cotton growing support healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, often use less water and tend to improve the soil quality. However, it requires more time, knowledge and experience.
Thus, many farmers wouldn't like their cotton industries to be dependant on insecticides and fertilizers. That's why they are trying to move towards organic models of cotton production. Fortunately, chemical-free organic cotton with great cotton characteristics has now become available.
The logistics of cotton products has recently been improved by the development of the cotton module builder. This machine compresses the cotton into large blocks with huge cotton weight temporarily stored in the field.
So, thanks to diverse cotton characteristics, this product is now used not only in the textile industry, but also in coffee filters, bookbinding, tents, and fishnets.
Article comments:
No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!
