Cotton Plant Development

Early Development

• University of Missouri Extension extension specialist David W. Albers, explains that cotton plant development begins with the main stem of the plant developing a series of nodes. Fruiting branches begin to extend after the fifth or sixth node, providing the base that will serve as a home for cotton squares, blooms and bolls.

Squares, Blooms and Bolls

• Cotton squares are the small buds that eventually bloom into a flower, growing for about 21 days before the bloom appears. Pollen then fertilizes the flower, leading to development of the boll, the sac full of seeds and cotton fiber. If the young boll is improperly fertilized, it will simply drop off the plant.

Culmination

• The immature cotton boll is protected by a rigid encapsulation. The capsule bursts open when mature, revealing the seeds and its white/creamy and downy fibers, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. An immediate harvest of the crop is vital to protect the boll from damage, most notably from the infamous boll weevil.