| How RLF Adds Value to your Crop
RLF plays an important part in the production of food crops in many parts of the world.
RLF is a major contributor to plant health and nutrition, and has developed new and exciting technologies to advance crop quality and yield.
It's 'Integrated Fertiliser Approach' has a positive influence on achieving the increased crop yields necessary as demand for food grows.
RLF is committed to its role of providing the best possible outcomes and products for agriculture and is a proud partner to farmers and growers throughout the world.
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- Cotton is an ancient crop with its roots in antiquity. Dating evidence tells us that it's thread was used at least 7,000 years ago.
- The current estimate for world cotton production is approximately 25 million tonnes, equivalent to 110 million bales annually.
- China is the world's largest producer of cotton, with most of it being used domestically, followed by India, USA, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
- Cotton is a major commercial crop of Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and southern Florida.
- The most commonly grown commercial species of cotton is Gossypium hirsutum, an upland cotton, native to the Central Americas. It represents 90% of world production.
- Successful cultivation of cotton requires a long frost-free period, plenty of sunshine and a moderate rainfall, although irrigated farming is proving to be successful subject to the availability of water.
- Cotton can be grown in colours of brown, pink and green, but fears of contaminating the genetics of white cotton have seen coloured varieties banned in some countries or growing regions.
- A single plant of cotton can produce up to 75 bolls.
- Root development dominates the early growth of the cotton plant. It is estimated that the tap-root may be as deep as 25cm by the time the first cotyledons appear.
- Most cotton in the developed world is harvested mechanically, either by a cotton picker (a machine that removes the cotton from the boll without damaging the plant) or by a cotton stripper (a machine that strips the entire boll from the plant).
- In Australia cotton is grown in Queensland and New South Wales and growers have been producing this crop since 1921.
- Cold soils, seedling health, low soil pH, water stress, hard pans and soil damaged by pesticides can all lead to poor crop performance but with careful crop management this potential poor performance can be turned around. An Integrated Fertiliser Program using RLF products can greatly enhance a cotton crop's quality and yield.