9. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

9.1 The importance of cotton is due to a natural accident whereby the fibre is twisted or "convoluted" on maturing. These convolutions enable cotton to be spun. Absence of convolutions would render cotton useless as a spinning raw material.

9.2 The characteristics like length, strength fineness and maturity are important. The present day textile machinery is improving upon its speeds and therefore to produce the same yarn, better raw material has to be used. Pakistan was once known as the producer of the strongest cotton in the worls. It is sad to saythat it is no longer true. CIS and American cottons are regularly maintaining strength of over 100,000 pounds/sq-inch while strength of Pakistani cotton has dropped to 90-95 thousand pound/sq-inch. The success of further development of higher production and finer yarn counts will naturally depend on the type of cotton available to keep pace with modern trends. If better type of cotton is not made available other fibres will replace it. It is, therefore, imperative that research work on cotton is suitably enlarged so as to modify cotton to suit the changing requirements of the industry.

9.3 Length., strength and fineness of Pakistan cottons are given in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

9.4 Some Asian countries particularly Pakistan is routinely and uncharitably called producers of coarse counts. From Table 10, it can be seen that 60% of the total yarn produced in the world is No.30 or below. Pakistan need not worry, we are in good company, However, this does not mean that we remain static and should only produce coarse/short staple cottons and coarse counts.

Source: Schoeller, L., International Cotton Conference, Bremen.

9.5 To sum up the cotton breeders must be told to DOUBLE THE LENGTH AND DOUBLE THE STRENGTH.

9.6 GRADING

9.6.1 It is important that before marketing, cotton is tested for various physical characteristics. Cotton grading used to be an art but- now has become a science. With the introduction of HVI, determination of characteristics has become easier. In USA every bale of cotton is tested on HVI and a green card attached with each bale. It is gratifying to note that Pakistan has become second country in the world to have its own colour chart and software for HVI. There is a need to popularize the use of HVI. However, since the equipment is expensive Government's help is necessary for setting up HVI testing centers, Even in USA testing cotton on HVI is done by USDA.

9.6.2 In research however, instruments other than HVI are needed. Some of the most important ones are AFIS, AL-METER, ELECTRON MICROSCOPE, etc. Not a single research laboratory in the country has these instruments.

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