Agriculture

Worldwide, cotton plants are cultivated primarily in tropics and subtropics and also in arid, warm climate regions in moderate latitudes. India, China, the USA, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Brazil are the leaders in the cotton production. In Europe cotton is cultivated in Greece, Bulgaria and Spain.

Utilisation

Cotton is a natural fibre that is won out of the seed hairs of the Gossypium hirsutum plant. Cotton has been processed into natural textiles for a long time. In the 19th century, the cultivation of flaxseed for the linen production strongly decreased in Europe because cotton replaced this local plant. In the 20th century, polyester fibres competed with cotton. At the beginning of the 21st century for the first time worldwide, more textiles from synthetic fibres than from cotton were produced.

After the harvest, the fibres are separated from the albuminous, fat-laden seeds. During processing, by-products that are used as food and feed accrue:

• Oil: the high-quality cotton seed oil is utilized for cooking and deep frying, as well as in margarine.
• Whole grain: the albuminous pellet is used primarily for feed. It is also a the base for protein compounds and isolates, as well as for cotton seed milk.
• ‘Linters’: These very short, non-textile fibres cling to the cotton seeds. They consist almost exclusively of cellulose. Various food additives such as thickening agents, stabilizers, emulsifiers or fillers are made from these.

Renewable resources

• Principal customer for cotton linters is the paper industry that produces high-quality, tear-resistant papers, used for example for bank notes.

Biotechnology: Aims of research and development

Agronomic traits

Resistance against pests

• Insect resistance: By producing the Bt toxin, the plant becomes resistant to the cotton bollworm.

• Fungal resistance

Weed control

• Herbicide tolerance towards herbicides with the ingredients such as glyphosate and glufosinate, often in connection with insect resistance (stacked genes).

Adaptation to climate and local factors

• Cold-, heat- and drought tolerance

Quality traits

Modified composition of ingredients

• Oil and starch content, fatty acids

Modified fibre characteristics

• Optimisation of length and strength of the cotton fibres

• Cotton that produces a pigment (melanin) and therefore does not have to be dyed.

Field trials with GM cotton

Use of GM cotton