A general account of Fiber yielding crops – Cotton, Jute, Coir
Fibre Yielding Crops:- Plant fibres are a type of natural fibres as they are obtained naturally and directly from the different sources of plants and their products. These fibre yielding crops are very high in their length, width, tenacity, uniformity, spinning pliability and flexibility. The different sources of plant fibres are- cotton, jute, coir, hemp and flax.
1. Cotton:-
Botanical Names:- Gossypium sp. (G. arboreum, G. barbadense, G. berbaceum and G. hirsutum).
Family:- Malvaceae.
Economic Botany:-
> It is the chief fibre plant which supplies more than 70% of the world consumption of fibres.
> Fibres occur on the seeds in the form of flattened, twisted and tubular hairs.
> Raw cotton consists of cellulose (94%), protein (1.3%), pectic substances (0.9% to 1.2%), water (0.6%), sugar (0.3%) and some pigment traces.
> Chief use of the cotton is in the textile industry. Other uses include stuffing of pillows, cushions, and also in rubber tyre fabrics.
> Short fibres, called linters or fuzz, are used for superior acetates and viscose rayons, cellulose ethers and esters, and nitrocellulose lacquers.
> Hull, the outer covering of cotton seeds, is used for cattle feeding, fertilizers, fillers in plastics, and manufacture of insulating materials.
> A most important semidrying oil (cotton seed oil) is obtained from the seeds of cotton. It is used as a cooking oil. Other uses of this oil include in the preparation of soaps, paints and varnishes, washing powders, artificial leather, glycerine, nitroglycerin, etc.
> Seed cake is used as fertilizer and as cattle feed.
> Gossypium roots are used in some fevers.
> Its seeds are used in diseases like gonorrhoea, catarrh and gleet.
> Leaf juice of G. berbaceum is used in scorpion and snake bites.
> Cotton fibre is also used in paper industry, specially in preparing fine quality paper.
2. Jute:-
Botanical Name:- Corchorus capsularis, C. olitorius.
Family:- Tiliaceae.
Economic Botany:-
> It is a chief fibre-yielding annual shrub.
> Fibres are obtained from the stem of two species, i.e., C. capsularis and C. olitorius.
> It is a bast fibre, obtained from the secondary phloem by the process of retting.
> Jute is cultivated in West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Bihar and U.P.
> Jute fibre is used in making carpets, coarse material, twine, gunny bags, paper and many similar articles.
> Jute forms the base of linoleum and wool carpet industry.
> High quality grease-proof paper is prepared from the fibres of jute sticks. It is used commonly is confectionery industry for wrapping greasy materials.
> Dried leaves of C. capsularis are also used as a remedy for dysentry.
> Besides India, Bangladesh is also a chief jute- producing country of the world.
3. Coir (Coconut):-
Botanical Name:- Cocus nucifera
Family:- Palmae or Arecaceae
Introduction:-
> It is a tall palm cultivated cheaply in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
> Commercial coir is obtained from the mesocarp of coconut.
> The fibre is known for its light mass, elasticity, high resistance to sea water and for its insulating capacity.
> Coconuts probably originated somewhere in Indo-Malaya and are one of the most important crops of the tropics.
> India and Sri Lanka are the top producers since 2001.
> Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the top producers in India.
> Kerala, popularly known as the God's own country alone accounts for 61% of total coconut production and 85% of total coir products.
Economic Botany:-
> Coir is used in manufacture of mats, cushion seats, bags, packaging material, water-proof and sound proof boards and thermal insulation.
> Using coir peat in horticulture also made demand for coir.
> It is also used for manufacturing ecofriendly horticultural products such as biodegradable planting pots.