It’s cotton harvest time across much of the South. All those fields covered in white will soon be harvested if not already, and it will all be turned into things you use every day. From the T-shirt and jeans you are wearing now, to by-products used in cattle feeding, cotton affects our daily lives more than you know.

Janice created this nifty photo. Click to view a search for all of the Cotton 101 posts.

Janice Person has an interesting “Cotton 101” series on her blog right now and I want to share part of it with you today. Janice is lucky enough to have worked with cotton farmers all across the South for many years, but she did not grow up on a farm herself. Her introduction to Ag came after her childhood, so she brings a great perspective to agriculture production through the words of her blog.

Here are some points from her blog with some interesting facts about cotton bolls:

  • The part that holds the seed & lint onto the plant, you can see it separating two separate tufts, that is called the bract. Earlier in the season, that provides the protection for the fiber as it develops & matures. At harvest, they are tough like tree bark and can cut up your hands if you aren’t careful.
  • The fiber grows in 4-5 small tufts called locks.
  • Each lock contains a few seed and the lint is tightly attached to that seed.  You can feel the see in there pretty quickly.

To read more about this, a country girls first visit to the cotton farm, cotton harvest, moduling and more check out the Cotton 101 Series!

 

Published by Ryan Goodman

Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.