Successful cultivation of cotton requires a long growing season, plenty
of sunshine and water during the period of growth, and dry weather for
harvest. In general, these conditions are met within tropical and warm
subtropical latitudes in the northern and southern hemispheres. The
U.S. Cotton Belt stretches from northern Florida to North Carolina and
westward to California.
Production of Cotton
Before cotton can be processed into the many products it becomes. It must be planted, irrigated, nurtured with fertilizer, protected from unwanted weeds, grasses and insects and harvested. This usually means loosening the soil to the depth of 1 to 2 ½ feet with tillage equipment. This will allow water and cotton roots to penetrate the soil and support the plant.- A seedbed (the row in which the cotton seed will be planted) is prepared by listing (forming land into ridges and furrow) the soil. This allows for faster warming of the soil in the spring and directs irrigation water across the field. Small amounts of soil enriching nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, may be added to the soil at this time.
- Planting may be done by hand, but in the more advanced regions of the world, mechanical planters are used.
When the soil reaches optimum temperature, about 65 degrees, these implements will place the seeds in the soil, usually 1 to 2 inches deep, depending on soil type. The mechanical planters can cover as many as 12 rows at a time.