• By Seshadri Ramkumar • As COVID-19 has affected the normal life and the economy, how have the cotton and textile sectors fared? The year was supposed to end with a positive news that two vaccines have been approved for mass inoculation. But the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, which has shown up recently in the United Kingdom, is causing genuine ... Read More »
texas tech
Researchers evaluate improvements in Texas cotton nutrition
The last 30 years have seen tremendous technological and biological advancements in the cotton industry, resulting in growing yields each year – depending on the weather – that has helped boost the industry worldwide. The development of herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant cotton cultivars through breeding has brought about not only increased yield but better management practices by farmers that has shifted ... Read More »
Texas Tech students discuss cotton nonmedical masks vs. COVID-19
• By Seshadri Ramkumar • Face masks are indeed becoming a part of gift baskets this holiday season. With wintry weather on the horizon, COVID-19 cases are expected to rise, as is evident in the recent surge in Europe and United States. Given these circumstances, knowledge dissemination on biomedical and nonmedical countermeasures are the need of the hour. I have ... Read More »
Texas Tech research seeks new uses for low-grade cotton
The use of masks, whether they are cloth, N-95 or some other iteration, is being touted by health care professionals and governmental leaders as the main mitigating act the public can undertake in the battle against the novel coronavirus. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States, people in communities across the country have stepped up, making masks for ... Read More »
Sensor-equipped drones help detect crop stress, aid decision making
When a human or an animal gets sick or is stressed, their temperatures can go up. The same is true for plants. A researcher with Texas Tech’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources is using drones to detect crop growth conditions in agricultural fields, with temperature variation being one of the ways scientists can see if there is a ... Read More »
Virus war and the textile sector
• By Seshadri Ramkumar • Advanced textiles to apparel manufacturers are turning creative to support the fight against the invisible enemy. As the coronavirus is a novel strain, vaccines and medications are not yet readily available to treat the infected, meaning good hygiene practices will play a greater part in preventing its transmission. The textile sector has received greater attention ... Read More »
Texas Tech grad student gauges cotton response to herbicides
The cotton industry is vital to Texas, with the state producing approximately 35% of the United States’ cotton crop, according to a 10-year average from the National Cotton Council of America. Lubbock and the South Plains has an even loftier claim to cotton: it is the largest cotton-producing area in the world. There’s no doubt cotton is the cash crop ... Read More »