Upland Cotton
Gossypium hirsutum

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

Gossypium hirsutum is a SHRUB growing to 2 m (6ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant is not wind tolerant.

Height (m): 2

Where it is found

Not known

Central America, north to southern N. America and the Caribbean.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Seed - cooked. The seeds contain up to 40% protein, they have a nutty flavour when roasted and can be eaten as a snack. They are also boiled and used like rice in casseroles and soups. Ground into a powder, they can be added to flour when making bread, cakes etc. They can also be made into a spread similar to peanut butter. Some forms of this plant produce seeds containing the toxin gossypol, which needs to be removed before the seed is eaten. The seeds of glandless cultivars do not contain this toxin. An oil obtained from the seed is used for salads, in cooking and to make margarine etc. Carbon Farming - Staple Crop: oil.

Oil: Oil

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The boiled leaves are applied to skin rashes on children.

Other

Rating: 4

Agroforestry Uses: Low-grade seed cake, after the oil has been expressed, is used as manure.. Other Uses A good quality fibre is obtained from the seed floss. Cotton fibres have a wide range of used including making clothes; rubber-tyre fabrics; stuffing material for pillows, cushions etc; surgical dressings; making twine and ropes; carpets etc. An oil is obtained from the seed. Low-grades of the oil are used in the manufacture of soap, lubricants, sulphonated oils and protective coatings. The seed hulls and the dry stalks are used as fuel. Carbon Farming. Industrial Crop: fiber. Other Systems: strip intercrop.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Other Systems: Strip intercrop: Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Other Systems: Strip intercrop: Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Sea Island cotton can be grown in the dry to moist tropics and subtropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,250 metres. For commercial production it requires a climate that has a long, hot growing season with abundant moisture, followed by a drier period for harvesting the seed floss. Low temperature increases the production of vegetative branches and extends the cropping period, while high temperature increases the number of fruiting branches and reduces the cropping period. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 36°c, but can tolerate 15 - 42°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 750 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 450 - 1,500mm. Prefers a very sunny position in a light, fertile soil. Plants can tolerate a range of well-drained soils, including moderate levels of salt. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5, tolerating 5 - 9.5. Requires a position sheltered from strong winds. The plant is usually cultivated as an annual, taking 150 - 220 days to mature a crop. Seed-cotton yields vary between 0.8 - 3 tonnes/ha, or 0.2 - 1.1 tonnes/ha of fibre. Carbon Farming - Cultivation: regional crop. Management: standard, coppice. Perennial cotton has longer fibres and is considered superior to annual cottons. Perennial cottons are suited to arid and humid conditions while annual cottons were bred for colder climates and for mechanical harvesting. Perennial cottons are cultivated in the tropics on a smaller scale and include Gossypium arboreum burmanicum, Gossypium arboreum indicum, Gossypium arboreum soudanense, Gossypium barbadense braziliense, Gossypium barbadense darwinii, Gossypium herbaceum acerifolium, Gossypium herbaceum africanum, Gossypium hirsutum marie-galante, Gossypium hirsutum punctatum, Gossypium hirsutum taitense. Currently perennial cottons are harvested by hand. Researching perennial cottons varieties and production methods would help develop them as good carbon farming plants and help to alleviate the terrible problems caused by annual cottons.

Propagating it: Seed. In zones 8-10 it can be sown directly after the last frost. In zones 5-7, treat like tomatoes. Seed germinates in 7-21 days at 70 F. Plant 18-30 in. apart in rows 5 ft. apart. Plants start flowering in mid-summer.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 5-10

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Some forms of this plant contain the toxin gossypol - glandless cultivars are free of this toxin.

Its other names

Local names

Upland cotton or Mexican cotton,

Synonyms

Many