Texas Tech conducts studies to improve efficiency in cotton farming

One thing is certain about cotton farming in today's world, it is nothing like prior generations experienced.

As profit margins shrink, new practices are developed that include bigger tractors, working with less water and more expensive seed that is resistant to generational problems such as pests and droughts. Staff at Texas Tech University continues to study new ways to make farming more efficient for the next generation of cotton farmer.

Among those practices is the study of modifying cotton genes to double yields in unforgiving environments that offer high heat and drought, Texas Tech Today reported. Other studies include climate resilient cultivars and early planting, robots that speed up crop analysis along with the use of drones to monitor crop health from the sky. When a poor crop surfaces, Texas Tech researchers are taking the poor quality of cotton and transforming it into a biodegradable, plastic-like product. Texas Tech Today also reported researchers are taking a look at microbial solutions to bind the soil.