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History and usages of the cotton plant
The cotton plant, whose English name is Cotton and its scientific name is Gossypium hirsutum, belongs to the Malvaceae family. This plant was described for the first time by the famous Swedish scientist Carl Linnacus. This plant has been cultivated since ancient times in different parts of the world where the climatic conditions are suitable for its growth and development, and the cultivation of this plant is mentioned in the book of Botany in India, and it is stated that around (1500) years before Christ. This plant whose products are useful like wool and its quality is far better than sheep's wool. Some botanists consider the origin of this plant to be India and Africa, and some of them believe that its original homeland was India and later it was taken to other countries such as Africa, China, Mexico, etc., and it is also one of the oldest records of its origin. Cotton textiles dating to 3000 BC found in the Indus Valley, western Pakistan, have been radioactively used to show that cotton was present and used in Mexico 5800 years ago. . It is very likely that the seed of cotton originated in India and was later taken to Europe by the Arabs. The first European country that started growing cotton was Spain because the current name of cotton in this country corresponds perfectly with the Arabic name, and then from this country later it has been transferred to other European countries.
Major types of cotton
1- Gossypium arboretum: This is an Asian variety that has been cultivated in Asia, Africa and Australia.
2- Gosspium hirsutum: This type of variety is of American origin and has 52 chromosomes and has the following characteristics. This type of cotton is called short fiber cotton, its fiber length is 1.87-3.12 cm or more, and it has a medium thickness. The initial color of the flower is creamy white and later turns into milk tea and red.
3-Gossypium barbadense: This type of variety has been modified and cultivated. It is of American origin and has 52 chromosomes, 26 of which are large and 26 of which are small and have the following characteristics. This type of cotton has long fibers and it is called long staple, its fibers are 3-5 cm long or more, and the fibers of this type of cotton are exquisite and strong, and its fibers are easily separated from the cotton seed. Its flower color is yellow and the base of the petals looks like a purple dot, and its bud is three-tiered.
4-Gossypium tomentosum: This type is also of American origin, and its chromosome number is 52, 26 are large and 26 are small, and it has the following characteristics. It is very short and its length reaches 1 cm, the fibers on the top of the egg are firmly placed and will not be separated soon.
5-Gossypium herbaceum: This type is Asian, has 26 chromosomes, and its fibers are coarse and short, and its length reaches from 1.25 cm to 2.5 cm. Its leaves have 3 to 7 edges. And its young branches are partly hairy. Its boll has 3 to 4 steps and when it is ready to be picked, it does not fully open. In each step, the number of eggs does not exceed 11 seeds.
Uses of cotton
The most important materials for the use of cotton in the industry are textile weaving, sock weaving, photographic film, synthetic wool, string, plastic, preparation of soap, candles, cosmetics and natural supplies, as well as the preparation of industrial and natural edible oils for food. Animals and fertilizer production etc… are used. As its uses are many, it increases year by year in the cultivation and production of cotton in the world.
In 2013, the cultivated area in the world was 37 hectares of land, and in the same year, an average of 58 million tons of cotton was produced. But in 2006, about 40 million hectares of land were under cotton cultivation. From which 63 million tons of cotton have been produced, all this increase in cotton cultivation means that its uses were many, that around 600 million people support their livelihood through cotton cultivation.
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