Planting and Cultivation

• Planting cotton should be done when soil temperature at the 2" depth at 8:00 a.m. reaches 68 degrees F for three consecutive days.
• In very mild areas, where warm summers are predicted, it is worth trying to grow the plant outdoors.
• Red spider mite can be a problem, especially on plants grown in greenhouses or under glass. This can be treated with an insecticidal soap spray, or by frequent misting the plants with water.

Uses

• The cotton fibre is made primarily into yearns and threads for use in the textile and apparel sectors .
• Cotton is used to make a number of textile products.
• In addition to the textile industry, cotton is used in fishnets, coffee filters, tents, gunpowder , cotton paper, and in bookbinding.
• The cottonseed which remains after the cotton is ginned is used to produce cottonseed oil, which, after refining, can be consumed by humans like any other vegetable oil.

Market

• Cotton demand is strongly influenced by comparative prices vis-à-vis man-made fibres (artificial and synthetic fibres).
• Strong growth in textile exports and strong economic growth, leading to increased domestic demand, are encouraging increased mill consumption of cotton in India.
• Expanding cotton consumption in India will maintain upward pressure on Indian market prices and will encourage increased production.