Peruvian Cotton

From Wiki Sumaq Peru

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant (Gossypium sp.), a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth in clothing today.In the 1800s and 1900s cotton was called "King Cotton" because of the great power it had in the economy.

Cotton fiber, once it has been processed to remove seeds (ginning) and traces of honeydew (a secretion from aphids), protein, vegetable matter, and other impurities, consists of nearly pure cellulose, a natural polymer. Cotton production is very efficient, in the sense that only ten percent or less of the weight is lost in subsequent processing to convert the raw cotton bolls (seed cases) into pure fiber. The cellulose is arranged in a way that gives cotton fibers a high degree of strength, durability, and absorbency. Each fiber is made up of twenty to thirty layers of cellulose coiled in a neat series of natural springs. When the cotton boll is opened, the fibers dry into flat, twisted, ribbon-like shapes and become kinked together and interlocked. This interlocked form is ideal for spinning into a fine yarn.

History of Cotton

Cotton

The earliest cultivation of cotton discovered thus far in the Americas occurred in Mexico, some 5,000 years ago. The indigenous species was Gossypium hirsutum which is today the most widely planted species of cotton in the world, constituting about 90% of all production worldwide. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, followed by Australia and Africa.[7]

In Peru, cultivation of the indigenous cotton species Gossypium barbadense was the backbone of the development of coastal cultures such as the Norte Chico, Moche and Nazca. Cotton was grown upriver, made into nets and traded with fishing villages along the coast for large supplies of fish. The Spanish who came to Mexico in the early 1500s found the people growing cotton and wearing clothing made of it.

During the late medieval period, cotton became known as an imported fiber in northern Europe, without any knowledge of how it was derived, other than that it was a plant; noting its similarities to wool, people in the region could only imagine that cotton must be produced by plant-borne sheep.

Extra-Long Staple (ELS) cotton has been grown in the Southwest United States since the early-1900's, but it wasn't until mid-century that much attention was given to the new cotton. The real breakthrough came in 1951 when a seed was developed and introduced that produced an ELS cotton with superior fiber properties, luster and silkiness...as well as an unusually high yield. Subsequent variety releases in the 1970's, 80s and 90's included Pima S-5, S-6 and S-7, all of which boasted higher yields and better spinning characteristics.i

The name "Pima" was applied to ELS cotton (previously called American-Egyptian) being developed in the U.S. desert southwest in the early 1900's. The name was given in honor of the Pima Indians who were helping to raise the ELS cotton on the USDA experimental farm in Sacaton, Arizona.ii

Although South America is the center of origin of the species gossypium barbadense, to which ELS cottons belong, these cottons were photoperiodic, and the fiber was medium staple in length and coarse, as typified by the current Tanguis cottons of Peru.iii The origin of true extra-long staple cottons can be traced to the introduction of Sea Island to the U.S. in 1786 from seed received from the Bahama Islands, an area from which Columbus is reputed to have taken Sea Island samples to Europe in 1492.iv The g. barbadense cotton that first appeared in the U.S. in 1786, where it became known as Sea Island, had strikingly different fiber properties from the native g. barbadense of South America.v The exact origin of Sea Island cotton is unknown, but geneticists suggest that the most logical hypothesis to explain the ELS type was that it developed by transgressive inheritance through the introgression of length genes from outside the species, possibly from g. hirsutum.vi

The first successful crop of Sea Island was produced by William Elliott on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in 1790. Although production of this ELS cotton later expanded into the interior regions of Georgia and Florida, the best Sea Island cottons were grown on the Sea Islands; James, Edisto, John and Wadmalaw.vii The crop continued until 1920, when a severe boll weevil infestation had made it unprofitable. Attempts to revive the Sea Island industry in the U.S. in the 1930's failed.

The evolution of ELS cottons began in 1825 when Sea Island cotton was brought into Egypt and crossed with a tree cotton named Jumel. The crossing of Jumel and Sea Island resulted in the development of Ashmouni in about 1860. The next several Egyptian cultivars were derived either by selecting within Ashmouni or from crosses of Ashmouni and Sea Island. The successful utilization of inbreeding between the years 1910 and 1940 led to the gradual development of Egyptian cottons that could compete with the quality of Sea Island.viii (It's important to note here that during the development of these later cottons, no germplasm from outside Egypt was used.)

The first ELS cultivar released by the USDA was "Yuma" in 1908. It was selected from Mitafifi, an Egyptian cultivar developed in 1887 from a cross of Ashmouni and Sea Island, and was introduced into the southwestern U.S. in about 1900.ix The first commercial ELS crop in the U.S. was produced in 1912 — 375 bales. Between 1908 and 1949, four additional Pima varieties were developed from the Egyptian germplasm base and released: "Pima","SXP", "Amsak" and "Pima 32".

At about the same time "Yuma" was being developed, the Egyptian variety Mitafifi was introduced into Peru.x The same source traces the arrival of American Pima cotton seed into Peru to 1923. However, a Peruvian Cotton information sheet distributed by the Junta Nacional Del Algodon (national cotton association) says Peruvian Pima originated from the "Yuma" cotton developed in Sacaton, Arizona, and was first grown in Peru in 1918. Dr. Carl V. Feaster, a longtime Pima breeder and geneticist, and known around the world as the father of modern-day Pima cottons, says he doubts the first Peruvian Pimas were actually Yuma, but more than likely were Pima, which was grown in the U.S. from 1918 - 1941. He said Pima was a selection from "Yuma" and its fiber characteristics more closely match those of Peruvian Pima's at the time. By 1930, Pima production had reached 28,307 bales in Peru, while the production of Mitafifi was quickly diminishing, soon to be all but extinct.

Uses

Cotton is used to make a number of textile products. These include terrycloth, used to make highly absorbent bath towels and robes; denim, used to make blue jeans; chambray, popularly used in the manufacture of blue work shirts (from which we get the term "blue-collar"); and corduroy, seersucker, and cotton twill. Socks, underwear, and most T-shirts are made from cotton. Bed sheets often are made from cotton. Cotton also is used to make yarn used in crochet and knitting. Fabric also can be made from recycled or recovered cotton that otherwise would be thrown away during the spinning, weaving, or cutting process. While many fabrics are made completely of cotton, some materials blend cotton with other fibers, including rayon and synthetic fibers such as polyester.

In addition to the textile industry, cotton is used in fishnets, coffee filters, tents, gunpowder (see Nitrocellulose), cotton paper, and in bookbinding. The first Chinese paper was made of cotton fiber. Fire hoses were once made of cotton.

The cottonseed which remains after the cotton is ginned is used to produce cottonseed oil, which, after refining, can be consumed by humans like any other vegetable oil. The cottonseed meal that is left generally is fed to livestock. During slavery, cotton root bark was used as an abortifacient, that is, a folk remedy to provoke abortion.

Cotton linters are fine, silky fibers which adhere to the seeds of the cotton plant after ginning. These curly fibers typically are less than 1/8 in, 3mm, long. The term also may apply to the longer textile fiber staple lint as well as the shorter fuzzy fibers from some upland species. Linters are traditionally used in the manufacture of paper and as a raw material in the manufacture of cellulose.

Shiny cotton is a processed version of the fiber that can be made into cloth resembling satin for shirts and suits. However, its hydrophobic property of not easily taking up water makes it unfit for the purpose of bath and dish towels (although examples of these made from shiny cotton are seen).

The term Egyptian cotton refers to the extra long staple cotton grown in Egypt and favored for the luxury and upmarket brands worldwide. During the U.S. Civil War, with heavy European investments, Egyptian-grown cotton became a major alternate source for British textile mills. Egyptian cotton is more durable and softer than American Pima cotton, which is why it is more expensive. Pima cotton is American cotton that is grown in the south western states of the U.S.

In South Asia, cotton is widely used in mattresses, which are the most common type of mattress used in that region.

Cotton, Peruvian flagship

The cotton is considered a Peruvian flagship product due to its fineness, quality, economic contribution and capacity to generate jobs. On a recent visit to Peru, the Spanish singer Miguel Bosé asked to promote projects to develop cotton’s production in Piura, located in the north of Peru and Ica, in the south.

The recent visit to our country of the Spanish singer Miguel Bosé, brought for Peruvians much more than music. He brought a commercial sphere, the truth of the cotton and its production to place it as part of the national discussion.

Peru has two kinds of cotton: tanguis and pima cotton, which possesses the longest fiber of the world. Only comparable with the Egyptian cotton. When it is processed correctly it has a special sheen and is very soft to the touch that even the ancient Incas tried.

Cotton grower’s Complain

The current Cotton grower’s Complain is due to the system of commercialization. “This generates a situation where only two enterprises buy 90 percent of Piura’s cotton production allowing to reach the current prices which are pay to the farmers”, said Federico León, Peru’s producers representative reported .

The Spanish singer has speak up about this complain and said he was upset to know that Peruvian producers of pima cotton, one of the best one of the world, earn less than the ones who produce fibers of less quality.

Therefoer, the President of Peru’s Congress, Luis Gonzales Posada, agreed to schedule several working meetings aimed to carry out projects which promote Peruvian cotton’s production.

Besides, this goods news, in Piura, there is an important work being developed to improve Peruvian pima cotton at a genetic level.

The Peruvian cotton is a flagship product of Peru such as pisco, egg plant, llama, maca, coffee, asparagus, ceramic and gastronomy.