Abstract on the topic:

Cotton

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 Origin
• 2 Classification
  • 2.1 Types
• 3 Diseases
  • 3.1 Pests
• 4 Use
• 5 Genetic modifications
Notes
Sources

Introduction

Cotton(lat. Gossypium) - a genus from the mallow family (Malvaceae), including 39-40 species of woody, shrubby and herbaceous, perennial, biennial and annual plants.

Cotton leaves are variable, with long petioles, usually 3-5 lobed.
The flower consists of a corolla, with 3-5 wide and fused petals, and a five-toothed calyx, surrounded by a three-lobed involucre, which is many times longer than the calyx.
Flower formula:

The fruit is a capsule, sometimes more round, in others oval, 3-5 divided, with seeds inside it, covered on the surface with fluff - cotton. There are two types of cotton hairs. They can be long and fluffy or short and fleecy - the so-called lint, cotton fluff. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, the seed may have both types of hairs or only long ones. Wild species do not have long hairs.

The root system is taprooted, the root goes into the ground to a depth of 30 cm, in some varieties it reaches 3 meters.

The cotton seed, covered with a dense peel, contains an embryo consisting of a root and two seed lobes.

1. Origin

It is customary to distinguish two centers of cotton crop emergence. The homeland of tree cotton and herbaceous cotton is probably India. Other cultural species- Barbados cotton and common cotton most likely appeared in America, but then spread widely.

2. Classification

Due to the diversity of cotton species and very easy variability and transition, as various types, and individual organs into others, with climate and soil changes, through cross-pollination, more and more new varieties are obtained. Therefore, all attempts by botanists to classify and subdivide the genus Gossypium into scientific and strictly defined species for a long time did not bring success. Linnaeus counted only 3 to 6 species, Parlatore up to 7, Decandolle up to 13. Some already counted up to 42, 52 and even 88. Others, such as M. J. Watts, recognized only two species: American and Asian, which physiologically they cannot mix. Royle recognized four main species, and his classification was considered quite satisfactory for a long time.

Genetic studies have shown that the cotton genus consists of two groups of plants that differ in the number of chromosomes per cell. Most types of cotton diploid, that is, they have a double set of chromosomes. In another group - tetraploid plants whose non-reproductive cells have 52 chromosomes, that is, 4 sets of 13 chromosomes. Triploid and hexaploid samples were also obtained experimentally.

It is interesting that one of the pairs of chromosomes in tetraploid species is Asian, and the second is local, but scientists were unable to determine when such crossing occurred.

2.1. Kinds

For agriculture, 4 types of cotton play a role:

Diploid species:

• Herbaceous cotton plant or goose(Gossypium herbaceum), it is also considered East Indian - G. Indicum, or Asian. This species is very common in India, China, Japan, Central Asia, Transcaucasia. This is the shortest, most persistent species - cultivated farthest in the north, annual. Its stems rarely reach 1.4 m in height, the bolls are round and small, the flower is yellow, with a red spot inside, the seeds are small, round and covered with a short, gray fluff. Fiber (cotton) - white, the shortest and coarsest - woolly, as it is called.

• Tree cotton or Indo-Chinese(Gossypium arboreum), the tallest, from 4.5 to 6 m in height, perennial, with red flowers, black naked seeds and high quality yellow fiber. This probably also includes Brazilian and Peruvian varieties; in the latter, black, naked seeds, as if fused together, form a cone-shaped mass. The flowers are yellow. Found only in the tropics.

Tetraploid species:

• Peruvian cotton or Barbadian(), seaside, or coastal islands. Perennial with yellow flowers, with black naked seeds and a long, finest quality fiber, from 1.60 to 2.20 inches. The stems reach from 6 to 15 feet. height. Only recently, less than 100 years ago, through much effort, it became an annual in America. Fiber length 38-44 mm. It is cultivated to a very limited extent in America, almost exclusively on the coasts and islands of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. This also includes long-staple brown Egyptian cotton, but the fiber length is shorter (35-44 mm).

• Common cotton plant, shaggy, shaggy or hairy, upland(from English Upland; Gossypium hirsutum) can be called upland (as opposed to coastal). This species, often called the green-seeded or Mexican species, reaches up to 180-210 cm in height - the most important view and the most common in the North. America, and Central Asia, and Transcaucasia. Annual with white flowers that turn pink in the sun, the seeds are gray, if not greenish, covered with abundant down. The fiber length varies in different regions, on average 5-13 mm.

From non-commercial species The following types can be mentioned:

• Sturt's cotton plant ( Gossypium sturtianum J.H. Willis) (Desert Rose of Sturt, English Sturt's Desert Rose) - a shrub native to Australia, the image of a flower is the emblem of the Northern Territory.
• Arizona wild cotton ( Gossypium thurberi Tod.) - grows in the southwestern United States (Arizona and New Mexico) and northern Mexico.
• Hawaiian cotton ( Gossypium tomentosum Nutt. ex Seem) - endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Red-brown fibers that are too short are not suitable for spinning.

Cotton harvesters are used to harvest cotton. In addition, the traditional manual method of collection is also used.

3. Diseases

During the summer, and especially shortly before the cotton begins to ripen, various diseases usually appear. These diseases have mainly two causes: physiological, resulting from improper plant nutrition, or diseases caused by fungi and bacteria.

• Leaf fall is caused by fungi of the genus Alternaria ( Alternaria): Alternaria macrospora And Alternaria alternata.
• Cotton anthracnose is caused by a fungus of the species Colletotrichum gossypii.
• Brown rot, caused by a fungus Thielaviopsis basicola.
• Hommosis, caused by bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum.
• Fusarium boll rot is caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium.
• Phytophthora, called Phytophthora nicotianae var. parasitica.
• White rot, caused by a fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

3.1. Pests

• Cotton boll weevil ( Anthonomus grandis) is the most serious pest of cotton. IN late XIX- At the beginning of the 20th century, the enormous damage caused by the weevil was the cause of a number of economic downturns in the United States.
• Cotton aphid ( Aphis gossypii).
• Cotton bollworm ( Helicoverpa armigera) And Helicoverpa punctigera- caterpillars that cause damage to cotton shoots.
• Green horsefly ( Creontiades dilutus) - sucking insect.
• Spider mites: common ( Tetranychus urticae), and Tetranychus ludeni And Tetranychus lambi.
• Thrips: Tobacco thrips ( Thrips tabaci) And Frankliniella schultzei

4.Usage

Cotton is the most important raw material in the textile industry. In medicine it is used to make cotton wool, dressings and collodion.

Extract from the bark of cotton roots has a hemostatic effect.

Cottonseed oil is obtained from the seeds, which is used in both the food industry and medicine.

Cotton fiber is a raw material for the production of gunpowder.

The leaves are used as raw materials for the production of citric and malic acids.

The plant also contains a specific pigment, gossypol - (1,6,7-trioxy-3-methyl-5-isopropyl-8-naphthaldehyde) - a natural polyphenol that has chemotherapeutic activity against various viruses and bacteria. In China, gossypol is used as a male oral contraceptive, the effectiveness of which is comparable to female hormonal pills. However, the incidence of side effects (eg, hypokalemia) with its use is excessively high, and 20% of men develop irreversible infertility.

Dry woody stems of cotton (guzapaya) are used in Central Asia as fuel.

5. Genetic modifications

The goal of genetic modification of cotton is herbicide tolerance(HT): reducing the negative impact of herbicides that cause significant damage cultivated plants, as well as providing more effective weed control. GM cotton requires 80% less pesticides than the original plant.

The second direction of modifications is entomocidal, or insect-resistant crops(IU) that are resistant to negative impact harmful insects. As of 2006, such stability has been achieved the only way- introduction of a soil bacterium gene Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)

According to ISAAA International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications ), in 2002, the total global area under cultivation of GM cotton was 67,000 km², which is about 20% of the total area under cotton. The share of cotton produced from GM cotton in the United States in 2003 reached 73%.

The initial attempt to introduce GM cotton into Australia turned out to be a commercial failure - profits were much lower than expected, and the plantations were cross-pollinated with other varieties of cotton. However, the introduction of a second variety of GM cotton saw the proportion of GM cotton planted in Australia rise from 15% in 2003 to 80% in 2004.

The beauty and vitality of some plants are so great that they can give rise to incredible legends. For example, one of them is associated with cotton - a plant with flowers of rare beauty, but, at the same time, extremely useful both in industry and in medicine.

They say that once the daughter of Emperor Montezuma, Princess Otomi, fell in love with an Englishman. The wise ruler decided not to interfere with the happiness of the young, at the same time strengthening his influence thanks to an alliance with a foreign state. As a wedding dowry, Otomi received chests full of beautiful light fabrics, amazing their European guests with the splendor. And this is how, according to legend, cotton first came to Europe.

Although there is another version regarding the historical homeland of cotton: according to it, this plant was first discovered not in Mexico, but in India. Be that as it may, cotton is currently cultivated in 60 countries around the world, and plantations allocated for its cultivation occupy more than 35 million hectares.

However, this plant is valued not only as an excellent raw material for producing fabrics. IN folk medicine Cotton is valued for its unique medicinal properties.

Species differences

Externally, cotton is an annual plant of the Malvaceae family with a straight, branching stem and a powerful root system. It is characterized by beautiful yellow flowers on long stalks, usually blooming between July and September. It is characteristic that, despite the fact that the flowering of the plant can last for a week, each individual flower blooms for only one day.

At the beginning of autumn, cotton fruits are harvested, which are large spherical boxes with silky fibers inside. Wild cotton has yellowish or cream-colored fibers, while cultivated plants are pure white.

Chemical composition

The chemical composition of cotton is very rich and diverse, thereby determining a wide range of uses of the plant for traditional medicine. The plant contains:

• squirrels
• pectins
• cellulose
• fatty oil
• phytin
• phosphatides
• sterols
• starch
• coloring pigments
• gossypol
• vitamins B6, B2
• thiamine
• folic acid
• provitamins A, E
• tannins
• organic acids
• flavonoids
• polyhydric alcohol

At the same time, cotton seeds contain linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids, as well as the pigment substance gossypolyurin and the pigment gossypol. As for the leaves of this plant, they are rich in citric and malic acid, as well as beta-sitosterol and polyhydric alcohol. No less popular in folk medicine is the bark of cotton roots, which contains:

• vitamins C and K
• resins
• tannins
• microelements
• essential oils
• trimethylamine
• acetovaniline
• salicylic acid
• phenolic substances
• betaine
• sitosterol
• triacontan
• butyric acid

Beneficial features

Due to the presence of the listed substances, cotton contributes to:

• tissue regeneration
• weakening the herpes virus
• wound healing
• suppression of tumor development
• normalization of the menstrual cycle
• removing excess cholesterol from the body
• easing the period

Indications for use

• irregular menstruation
• at the onset of menopause
• lichen
• herpes
• lack of vitamin E in the body
• stomach cancer
• in the postoperative period for speedy rehabilitation
• with high blood pressure
• to strengthen blood vessels

Dosage forms

In folk medicine, cotton seeds are traditionally used, from which cottonseed oil, leaves, and the bark of plant roots are produced. The collection and preparation of future medicinal raw materials is usually carried out in early autumn. Leaves, seeds and long fibers are subjected to conventional drying. And before this, the roots must be properly prepared for this procedure: to do this, they are thoroughly shaken off the ground, the bark is carefully removed from them and laid out to dry fresh air.

Many drugs used in folk medicine are produced industrially, for example, cottonseed oil. It can be found in the pharmacy and used to prevent atherosclerosis, along with sesame oil. Powder from the bark of cotton roots is drunk, diluted in boiling water, three times a day, 1 gram in the presence of any kind of internal bleeding. And in case of external bleeding, it is used as a powder.

Prescription drugs

Other cotton-based medicines can be prepared at home yourself.

Decoction of root bark for stomach tumors

1. Pour 1 teaspoon of crushed cotton root bark into 200 ml of boiling water.
2. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Strain the prepared solution and then cool.
4. Take 70 ml 3 times a day.
5. Continue the course of treatment for 30-45 days.

Cotton seed infusion

1. Pour 1 teaspoon of seeds into 200 ml of boiling water.
2. Leave to boil in a water bath for 15 minutes.
3. Leave for 45 minutes.
4. Strain the finished infusion.
5. Take 50 ml 3 times a day.

Infusion of cotton root bark

1. Pour 2 teaspoons of powdered cotton bark into a glass of boiling water.
2. Leave to infuse overnight.
3. In the morning, strain the resulting solution.
4. Take 50-70 ml 3 times a day.

Infusion to normalize the menstrual cycle

1. Pour 1 teaspoon of cotton root bark into 0.5 liters of boiling water.
2. Leave to infuse for 2 hours.
3. Strain the prepared solution.
4. Take 3 times a day, 50-70 ml.

Contraindications

Despite the obvious, pronounced positive effect of cotton on the body, there are situations when its use is undesirable. In particular, you should refrain from taking drugs based on it during pregnancy, since cottonseed has a strong abortifacient effect, which can be very dangerous for the health and safety of the fetus.

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Usage. From spinning plants great importance has a cotton plant, the seeds of which produce fibers 20-50 mm long, representing elongated cells of the epidermis. In the production of plant fibers, cotton accounts for up to 75%. Up to 75 types of products can be obtained from cotton. One ton of raw cotton (seeds with fiber) produces up to 320 kg of fiber, 650 kg of seeds, 10 kg of short fiber linters 4-5 mm long.

From cotton fiber produce fabrics for household use (satin, chintz, cambric, parachute, etc.), film, explosives. Lint is used to make artificial silk, paper, and insulating fabrics. The seeds are used to obtain edible and technical oils, and the waste is used as animal feed. The stems are suitable for the production of paper, varnishes, and alcohol.

Taxonomy. Cotton (genus Gossypium L. spec.), family Malvaceae, is a perennial plant with 35 wild and cultivated species. In cotton-growing regions, mainly annual forms of the species are used. New World cotton plants - medium-fiber (Gossypium hirsutum) and fine-fiber (Gossypium barbadense) - are grown under highly agricultural conditions; Old World cottons - herbaceous (Gossypium herbaceum) and tree-like (Gossypium arboreum) - are used in some areas of Asia. New World cotton accounts for at least 80% of the sown area.

Spreading. Cotton on the globe common mainly between 47° N. w. and 35° S. w. By its nature, cotton is a plant short day. As a tropical plant, cotton has high heat requirements. The minimum temperature for germination is 10-12°C, optimal 25-30°C. Frosts are destructive for both seedlings and adult plants. Therefore, early-ripening varieties with a growing season of up to 4.5-5 months are created for northern cotton-growing zones. During the growing season, cotton requires temperatures of at least 30-35°C. Temperatures above 40°C can disrupt the normal processes of photosynthesis and the formation of generative organs. Of the cultivated forms, fine-fiber cotton is more demanding of heat.

Cotton cultivate in 89 countries of the world. Gross fiber production is 16.63 million tons. The largest areas under cotton are in Asia - 17.02 million hectares; industrial cotton plantations in North and Central America occupy 4.38 million hectares, including 4.06 million hectares in the USA. Africa is in third place in terms of cotton planting area - 4.2 million hectares. In the northernmost cotton-growing zone - in the USSR - the area under cotton is 3.46 million hectares.

Productivity raw cotton across the continents of the world varies from 0.94 t/ha (in Africa) to 2.52 t/ha (in Europe), and in Australia - 3.71 t/ha. The highest yields are obtained in the Philippines and Israel - more than 4.0 t/ha. The main producers of raw cotton and fiber - the USA, China - have raw cotton yields from 2.08 (in the USA) to 2.56 t/ha. In India these figures are significantly lower. In the Soviet Union (mainly Uzbekistan) the average productivity is 2.34 t/ha.

Description of the plant. In field crops, cotton is an annual bush 1-2 m high.

Root system rod, penetrates to a depth of 2 m, however greatest mass roots are located in a 0.5-meter layer of soil. In conditions of excess moisture, the roots are less developed, and their tap type is not so clearly defined.

Main stem- vertical, 80 cm or more in height. After the development of 3-7 leaves on the main stem, branches with generative organs are formed from the axils of subsequent ones. The sooner the first branch grows, the faster the variety will ripen.

Branches There are growth (monopodia) and fruit (sympodia). Monopodia grow from buds in the axils of the lower leaves, and then sympodia of the 2nd order are formed on them.

Sympodia 1st order appear on the main stem in the axils of the overlying leaves. Each sympodium internode ends with a generative organ - a bud and a leaf, between which the next internode appears. In cotton growing practice, forms with 1-3 monopodia or without them are used more often, and not just with sympodia, on which generative organs develop faster.

In turn, in sympodia there is a limiting type of branching, when only one internode is formed, and an unlimited type - when several internodes grow. For the practice of cotton growing, especially for zones with a warm period lasting up to 4.5-5 months, cotton varieties with extremely short (up to 5-10 cm) internodes are more suitable, which shortens the growing season and promotes the use of mechanized harvesting means.

First 2 opposite sheet, formed after emergence, cotyledons, whole, kidney-shaped, the next 2-3 are whole, and then - with a dissected leaf blade having 3-5 lobes, a petiole and 2 stipules. Different types of cotton have different blade shapes. Usually the leaf is bare, but sometimes it is pubescent on the back side. The leaf color is light to dark green, sometimes with anthocyanin coloring. The total size of the leaf surface varies from 20-25 to 50 thousand m 2 /ha, which determines the different amounts of dry matter formation, including that attributable to the crop.

Flowers from 4 cm or more in diameter located on the peduncle. The flower has 3 bracts, a fused calyx, inside of which there is a corolla of 5 white, cream, and red petals. Some types of cotton have an anthocyanin spot at the base of the petals. Five filaments grow together into a column with a large number of stamens, ending in a 2-lobed anther. The pistil is 3-5-celled with a superior ovary. The number of ovules in the nest varies - from 6 to 11.

Fetus- box various shapes and surface, with a diameter of 1 to 7 cm. The color of unripe boxes is green. Each capsule nest develops up to 5-10 seeds.

Seed 5-14 mm long and 3-8 mm in diameter, has an ovoid or irregular pear-shaped shape, consists of an embryo and 2 membranes. The epidermal cells of the peel are highly elongated and form a white or cream-colored fiber (rarely brown or greenish). Fine-staple cotton has only long fibers. V connective fiber - long and short. The fiber develops within 25-30 days starting from the day of flowering. Towards the beginning of ripening, moisture evaporates from the fiber, which leads to its flattening and curling.

Some ovules, called "uluk", remain unfertilized, which causes the fiber to stop growing and reduces the quality of the fiber and yarn.

Ripe seeds, after removing long and short fibers, have a dark brown, almost black color, weighing 1000 seeds 90-160 g.

Biological features. The plant is very photophilous and grows best when at least 60-70% of days are sunny during the growing season.

Cotton plant is demanding moisture, its transpiration coefficient is at least 500-600. The moisture requirements of cotton are especially high at the beginning of the growing season and during fruit formation. Lack of water during the period of fruit formation sharply increases the abscission of generative organs to 90% or more of their total number. Therefore, in arid cultivation zones, an irrigated crop is used, and in the humid tropics and subtropics, cotton is cultivated without irrigation when there is at least 800-1000 mm of precipitation per year.

IN optimal conditions the appearance of seedlings after sowing is noted on the 5-7th day, and the first true leaf is formed after 10-12 days. On the 25-30th day the first buds appear, and after another 25-30 days flowering begins. The flowers open in the morning and fade by evening. On the first day, the color of the flowers is white or cream, on the 2-3rd day it turns pinkish, then purple-red, after which the corolla falls off. The beginning of ripening, i.e., the opening of the first bolls, is usually recorded 2 months after the first buds bloom.

The formation of buds, flowering and ripening occur from the bottom up, and thus all 3 phases - budding, flowering and ripening - continue until harvesting.

Cotton plant - self-pollinator, however, cross-pollination has also been noted. More than 30 generative organs can form on a bush, however, due to the fall of flowers and ovaries caused by genetic characteristics and violation of agricultural practices, up to 20-50% of the formed bolls are preserved and mature.

Soil requirements. Cotton grows best in soils medium loamy when the soil solution reacts from neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 7-8).

The plant can withstand weak salinization and can grow in conditions of low-mineralized groundwater up to 1-3 m. On structural, loose soils and with a humus content of up to 3-5%, plants develop better, but with high culture agriculture and the required amount of nutrients, cotton is grown on any soil except saline soils (gray soils, red soils, alluvial soils).

Features of crop rotation. Due to the strong susceptibility to wilt fungal disease, cotton is cultivated in crop rotations, where it can occupy no more than 60-70% of the area. The best predecessors of cotton are alfalfa, legumes, and grains.

In crop rotation, plants must be provided with the necessary amount of nutrients, and above all nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Considering that per 1 ton of raw cotton, the plant consumes up to 45-50 kg of nitrogen, 15-20 kg of phosphorus and up to 50 kg of potassium, the amount of fertilizer applied must be consistent with the size of the crop and the nutrient content in the soil.

Pre-sowing activities. Due to the long duration of its growing season, technological operations for cultivating cotton occupy a significant part of the year; There are pre-sowing, pre-sowing, sowing periods and plant care and cleaning.

Plowing is carried out with ploughshare or disk plows to a depth of at least 28-30 cm, and when using two-tier ploughshare plows - up to 30-40 cm. In areas that have come out from under alfalfa, the field is disked before plowing.

During the same period or in advance, cotton seeds are brought to sowing conditions on special lines at cotton factories. Seed pads are removed mechanically, chemically or aerochemically. For the same purpose, sometimes the seeds are coated, that is, they are coated with adhesive substances with the addition of fungicides. Bare seeds are sorted and calibrated.

Fertilizers. Typically, the doses of applied nitrogen are 100-200 kg/ha, phosphorus 100-175, potassium 100-125 kg/ha.

The main technological operations in the pre-sowing period are the application of organic and mineral fertilizers and plowing. Manure is applied in an amount of no more than 10-15 tons per hectare due to the threat of excessive growth of cotton plants.

Sowing/planting. Sowing begins when the soil temperature at the seeding depth reaches 13-14°C. The choice of sowing time in the tropics is determined by the beginning of the rainy season, and in the subtropical zone - by temperature conditions.

The most progressive sowing methods are frequent nesting and dotted sowing as a variation of frequent nesting, but with precise sowing of seeds. Precision seeding drills with electronic control over the uniformity of seed sowing have also been created. Seed sowing rates vary from 30 to 80 kg/ha.

The field surface prepared for sowing can be smooth or ridged. When sowing cotton in ridges, the best thermal and air conditions of the soil are created during the initial period of plant development.

Optimal conditions for plants are created with wide-row sowing with row spacing of 60-90 cm and distances between plants from 8 to 12 cm or more, and with nest sowing - 30 cm.

The plant density varies widely - from 50 to 60 thousand plants per 1 hectare in the tropical zone, to 130-140 thousand plants in the subtropics. Seeds are planted to a depth of 3-6 cm.

During sowing, soil herbicides and starting doses of nitrogen and phosphorus are applied (up to 20 kg/ha of active ingredient). Under irrigation conditions, the direction of sowing should coincide with the direction of watering. In the period from sowing to the emergence of seedlings, if a soil crust forms, it is broken up with harrows or rotary hoes.

Caring for crops/plantings. Plant care is the most intense period when the tasks of creating optimal conditions for the development of cotton plants are solved. Immediately after the emergence of seedlings, the required plant density is formed. As a rule, this is handmade.

Maintaining the field in a weed-free state is carried out both by hand weeding and by inter-row cultivation, which is carried out 3-5 times during the growing season and maintains the top (up to 10-16 cm) layer of soil in a loose and weed-free state. As necessary, pest and disease control is carried out on the plantations. During the growing season, much attention is paid to the application of fertilizers, and above all nitrogen.

Under irrigated conditions, irrigation furrows are cut before irrigation begins. As a result of irrigation, soil moisture should not fall below 60-70% of the maximum field moisture capacity. Irrigation rates, depending on specific soil-climatic and hydrological conditions, vary from 2 to 9 thousand m 3 of water per 1 hectare.

Before the ripening of cotton in a number of regions of the world, especially in the dry subtropics, the apical bud of the main and lateral shoots is removed from the plants, i.e., the so-called minting is carried out, which helps to accelerate the opening of the bolls.

Harvest. Ripe raw cotton is harvested manually or using cotton harvesters. Manual harvesting begins when 3-5 boxes open on the bush. It is less productive than machine harvesting, but produces pure, high-quality raw cotton. The use of cotton picking machines makes it possible to replace up to 150-200 cotton pickers. When machine harvesting, double defoliation is mandatory - preliminary chemical removal of leaves, and in some cases with large quantities unripe bolls are desiccated (dryed) of the plant.

Pharmacy name: cotton root bark - Gossypii cortex radicis.

Botanical description. Shrub with yellow flowers. Many varieties are cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries (mainly for cotton production). The ancient peoples of the Old and New Worlds introduced cotton into cultivation independently of each other, using local wild species for this purpose. The most ancient is cotton growing in India, where cotton was cultivated 5 thousand years ago. In Peru, cotton cultivation was known already 4 thousand years ago; cotton growing developed in Africa somewhat later. In Central Asia, cotton cultivation began long before our era. The homeland of common cotton is Mexico. After Columbus's voyage, this type of cotton came to the Old World and subsequently spread widely throughout to the globe, displacing local cultural species.

Collection and drying. Long fibers, root bark, roots and seeds are used for medicinal purposes. The bark is harvested in the fall after cotton is harvested. The soil is shaken off the dug roots, the bark is peeled off and dried in the fresh air for several days.

Active substance: red resinous substance yellow flowers(gossypol). The following were found in the root bark: gossin, ascorbic acid, tannins, vitamin K, trimethylamine, essential oil; in the seeds - gossilol, gossypin, which during hydrolysis breaks down into glucose and an aglycone - gossypetin; gossypose (raffinose), gossypurin pigment, vitamin E, fatty oil. Found in flowers; flavonoids, citric and malic acids. All parts of the plant contain carotenoids and catechins. Citric acid is obtained from cotton leaves.

Pharmacological properties. In small doses, gossypol has a number of valuable properties. It is characterized by antiviral activity and a stimulating effect on tissue regeneration. The content of linoleic acid triglycerides in cottonseed oil determines its use for the treatment of certain skin diseases. Cotton preparations that help remove cholesterol from the blood are necessary for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Application in medicine. The drug gossypol (Hossypolum) is obtained from the seeds and roots of cotton - a powder from light yellow to dark yellow in color with a greenish tint, darkening in the light. Practically insoluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol. Flavonoids isolated from the shaggy cotton flower have a pronounced capillary-strengthening effect, lower blood pressure and tone of blood vessels. The drug gossypol has chemotherapeutic activity against various strains of viruses, including dermatotropic ones, strains of the herpes virus and has a weak effect on gram-positive microbes. Gossypol also has antitumor and wound-healing effects. Cottonseed oil is extracted from the seeds, which is used to make ointments and plasters. In addition, it is a dietary product and is recommended for use by patients with atherosclerosis. The dried root bark in the form of an aqueous decoction or extract is prescribed as a hemostatic agent for uterine bleeding. Gossypol in the form of 3% liniment is used to treat patients with herpes zoster, lichen simplex, and psoriasis. It is applied in a thin layer 4-6 times a day. The course of treatment is 5-7 days. For herpetic keratitis, a 0.1% solution (in a 0.07% aqueous solution of sodium borate) of this drug is instilled into the conjunctival sac of the eye, 1 drop 5-6 times a day for 11-15 days. Instillation into the eye may be accompanied by burning and hyperemia, which disappear when the drug is discontinued. Release form: 3% liniment in glass jars orange color. Gossypol is recommended to be taken orally by patients who have been operated on for stomach cancer. In folk medicine, an infusion of the roots is taken orally for various internal bleedings as a hemostatic agent. Method of preparation and use.

• 2 teaspoons of finely chopped cotton root bark are poured into 1 glass of boiling water, boil for 30 minutes, cool and filter. Prescribe 1/3 glass 3-4 times a day as a hemostatic agent.

Application in homeopathy. A tincture of fresh root bark is prescribed for menstruation disorders, infertility, toxicosis of pregnant women. It is especially often used in homeopathy to reduce negative effects in women during menopause. Herbal preparations are prepared from the bark of the cotton root, acting similarly to ergot medicines.