Preface

Cotton, an arable crop used mainly for fiber, plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economy of the world. The cottonseed, which remains after cotton is ginned, is used to produce oil for human consumption and oilseed cake for animal feed. Nearly 35 million hectares are under cotton cultivation around the world, representing about 2.5% of the world's arable land. About 25 million tons of cotton lint is produced each year, of which nearly 40% is traded internationally. One of the most important problems in cotton production is the high consumption of pesticides compared to other products. It is estimated that 25% of the worldwide use of insecticide and 10% of pesticide use are accounted for by cotton cultivation. Pesticides sprayed across cotton fields easily run off and pollute freshwater sources.

Crop management and processing in cotton production begins with seedbed preparation, sowing of seeds, and crop maintenance and ends with crop harvest, handling, storage, and marketing. The best crop management and processing practices improve crop productivity and can contribute to greater yields with improved quality. These practices allow diverse actors such as farmers, companies, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to optimize resource use efficiency, create marketable products, reduce waste, assure market access, and reduce the risk of adverse relations with local stakeholders. Hence, crop management and processing practices are important aspects to ensure optimal productivity and even agricultural production.

In recent years, sustainable crop production and management have received increased attention at the global level because the use of agrochemicals and mechanization in agricultural production is producing an intense ecological crisis worldwide. Sustainable crop management focuses on agricultural techniques that are sustained over a long period without damage to the environment, or with only minimal damage. Sustainable cotton production means using natural resources such as water, land, and energy more efficiently. It pioneers commonsense cotton production practices that significantly reduce water use, land use, soil loss, and energy use while improving soil health and yield per acre. The development of innovative technologies, management systems, and protective approaches guided by science-based environmental goals and objectives has been key to these advances in sustainable cotton production.

The key objective of this book is to raise awareness and improve irrigation, plant nutrition management, integrated pest management, fiber quality, and biodiversity in cotton production fields. It includes seven chapters organized into three sections: "Crop Management Practices in Cotton Production," "Pest Management Practices in Cotton Production," and "Sustainability and Precision Agriculture in Cotton Production."

Chapters in Section 1 include "Utilization of Secondary Metabolites in Cotton Production", "Enhancing Water Use Efficiency by Using Potassium-Efficient

Cotton Cultivars Based on Morphological and Biochemical Characteristic" and "Naturally Colored Cotton: A Sustainable Innovation". Section 2 includes "Role of Biotic and Abiotic Factors for Sustainable Cotton Production" and "Integrated Pest Management in Cotton". Section 3 includes "A Review of the Factors Affecting Adoption of Precision Agriculture Applications in Cotton Production" and "The Strategic Importance of Cotton Production for the World and Türkiye".

The editors would like to give special thanks to the authors for their outstanding and timely work in producing such fine chapters. We are also thankful to Publishing Process Manager Mr. Dominik Samardzija and the rest of the staff at IntechOpen for their help throughout the publication process. We hope that the readers of this book will benefit.

> **Songül Gürsoy** Department of Agricultural Machinery and Technologies Engineering, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Türkiye
