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Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Immature cotton finds a market

Monday, August 5, 2013

In the southern United States, big machines move in and harvest all of the cotton, whether it is ripe or not. A use for the immature bolls has been elusive, at least until now.

According to a report published in Industrial & Engineering Chemical Research, a team of scientists from Texas Tech University found that immature cotton soaks up 36 times its weight in oil spilled into the sea after a tanker or oil rig accident. This is important because immature cotton, otherwise a waste product of a large agricultural sector, is cheap. By comparison, mature cotton soaks up only 31 times its weight in spilled oil, and synthetic products only 15 to 20 times their weight.

Using microscopes to perform an examination, the scientists found that immature cotton contains more fibres that are finer. Farmers should be pleased to have a market at all for their otherwise waste product. BF

Current Issue

March 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

$12M Invested in Agri-Food Growth in Southern Ontario

Thursday, March 6, 2025

The Government of Canada has announced an investment of over $12 million to support the growth and development of southern Ontario’s agri-food sector. This funding aims to help businesses scale up, adopt advanced technologies, and enhance production capabilities. Several organizations... Read this article online

U of G Advancing Soil Health

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

The University of Guelph is taking a significant step forward in tackling climate change and advancing soil health, with the announcement of a new $4-million investment. This initiative, fueled by a $2 million gift from the Jarislowsky Foundation, matched by a contribution from the... Read this article online

International Women’s Day – Angela Cammaert

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, Farms.com is asking women in ag about what they’d tell their younger selves about being a farmer, to give a piece of advice to young women entering the ag sector, and to highlight a woman in agriculture they consider a mentor or... Read this article online

Grain Growers of Sounding the Alarm Over U.S. Tariffs

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Not surprisingly, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is raising concerns over the United States' decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian grain and grain products, a move that could jeopardize the livelihoods of family-run grain farms and lead to higher food prices for American... Read this article online

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