How is the cotton material tested before sowing?

The demand for cotton in the world market has been growing in recent years, as has the price of raw material. Last year alone, Kazakh cotton growers sold production to traders at 350 tenge per kilogram, earning excellent profits. This has inspired many to increase their acreage for the crop this season, reports World of NAN.

According to JSC Kazagrex, before the sowing season, the bulk of agricultural producers from the south of Kazakhstan applied for the examination of cotton material. Cotton growers have long understood that the requirements for export products are high. The better the quality of seeds, the better the harvest.

So far, only Kazagrex laboratories in Kazakhstan are checking cotton. They are located on the site of the main cotton fields - in the Turkestan region in Zhetysay and in Shymkent. This season, 2,675.9 tons of seeds have been tested for quality. All seeds were recognized as conditioned.

The examination of seeds is carried out by specialists in three stages. Raw cotton is tested for 4 main indicators. These are germination, moisture, maturity and mechanical damage. After cleaning, the seeds are examined for 7 indicators - germinating capacity, humidity, weight of 1000 seeds, fibrous matter, burnability and weediness. Stripped seeds are tested for five indicators (germination, moisture, burnability, weight of 1000 seeds, mechanical damage).

Only after a thorough check, the seed material is dressed. Thanks to comprehensive testing, cotton growers of the country last season received an average of 25 tons per hectare, the specialists of the laboratory told us.

This year, sowing of cotton in some southern regions of the country has started earlier than usual. According to experts, this was promoted by optimal temperature conditions. It allowed the soil to warm up well and start sowing.