7: Cotton, Fibre, East India Company, Textiles, Plantation agriculture Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is the botanical classification of cotton?
Genus Gossypium, family Malvaceae; main cultivated species is G. hirsutum (upland/Mexican cotton).
What are three key growth requirements for cotton?
Warm climate with full sun, long frost-free season, and ample moisture.
What’s the difference between lint and linters?
Lint = long, spinnable fibres (up to 7 cm);
linters = shorter fibres left on seeds. Both are made of cellulose.
What are trichomes in the context of cotton?
Trichomes are hair-like structures;
cotton fibres are single-celled trichomes from the seed coat.
What are the three meanings of “fibre”?
Fibre cells (support),
dietary fibre (indigestible),
fibre filaments (used for spinning, like cotton).
What are the 4 steps in cotton processing?
- Harvesting
- Ginning (separates fibre from seed)
- Spinning (twist into yarn)
- Weaving (form fabric)
What is ginning and why is it important?
Separates cotton fibres from seeds/debris—vital for making yarn.
What is cottonseed used for?
Livestock feed (protein/carbs) and cooking oil (from the oil-rich seed).
How did the British East India Company affect cotton history?
Imported cotton to England, which led to bans on foreign textiles (Calico Acts) and boosted domestic production.
How did the cotton gin change cotton agriculture?
Increased efficiency of separating fibres from seeds, boosting profitability and expanding slave-based farming in the U.S.
What are the two major cotton pests?
Boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis)
cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera).
How do boll weevils damage cotton?
Females lay eggs inside bolls; larvae feed on developing fruit, destroying yield.
What is diapause in boll weevils?
A dormancy phase allowing survival in leaf litter during winter—makes eradication harder.
What was a common pesticide used on boll weevils and its issue?
DDT—initially effective but later banned due to environmental and health concerns.
What are the 4 principles of IPM? (integrated pest management)
- Action thresholds
- Monitoring
- Prevention (e.g., crop rotation, resistant plants)
- Control (judicious pesticide use)
How are pheromone traps used in IPM?
Attract female weevils for population monitoring and targeted spraying.
What is NPV and how is it used?
A virus that infects/kills insect pests like bollworms; sprayed on trap crops as biocontrol.
What is biocontrol and give 2 examples.
Use of living organisms to manage pests.
Examples:
Parasitoids (e.g., wasps)
Predators (e.g., beetles or birds)
what is a Boll?
Fruit of cotton plant; holds seeds and fibres.
Cellulose?
Main fibre component; structural plant carbohydrate.
Diapause is?
Insect dormancy to survive poor conditions.
what is a Trap Crop?
Plant that lures pests from main crop
