When is cotton planted?

Cotton is a widely grown crop with many uses, the most traditional and widespread use being as the main raw material for the textile industry. Cotton fibers can be processed into various types of textiles, such as cotton yarn, cotton cloth, towels, bed sheets, clothing, etc. So when is cotton planted?

When is cotton planted?

In our country, the cotton planting cycle varies depending on the geographical location. For example, in the Xinjiang region, cotton is usually planted from April to May and harvested from September to October. In the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins , the sowing time is slightly earlier, around March to April, and the harvesting is also in September to October.

The entire growth cycle of cotton is roughly 5 to 6 months, which is divided into the following stages:

Seedling stage: From sowing to emergence, this stage generally lasts 10 to 15 days.

Seedling stage: It takes about 30 to 40 days from seedling emergence to budding.

Bud stage: From budding to flowering, this stage generally lasts 25 to 30 days.

Flowering and boll period: From flowering to boll opening, it takes 50 to 70 days for upland cotton and 65 to 75 days for sea island cotton.

Maturity period (boiling period): From boll opening to harvest, it takes about 2 months.

Cotton's growing environment

Light conditions: Most cotton varieties in Xinjiang are early-medium maturing, early maturing and extra-early maturing, and are not very sensitive to light length. Cotton is a light-loving plant and requires plenty of sunlight to promote growth. The suitable range of light intensity for cotton leaves is 8000 to 70000 lux (lx). Within this range, the photosynthetic efficiency will increase with the increase of light intensity.

Water Conditions: Cotton absorbs water to support its growing process. Different growth stages have different requirements for soil moisture content. From sowing to emergence, the moisture content of the 0 to 20 cm soil layer needs to account for 70% to 80% of the field water holding capacity, while during the boll opening period, it needs to be maintained at 55% to 70%. Studies have shown that during the growing period, about two-thirds of the water in a cotton field is lost through transpiration, and the remaining one-third is evaporated through the soil.

Soil conditions: Cotton roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, and the soil needs to provide suitable temperature, air and mechanical support. The physical, chemical and biological properties of soil have a significant impact on cotton yield and quality. Factors such as moisture, nutrients, temperature, air content, salinity, and texture in the soil all play an important role in the growth of cotton.

In summary, the growth and development of cotton depends on suitable light, water and soil conditions, which together determine the healthy growth and ultimate yield of cotton.