THE IMPORTANCE OF COTTON CULTIVATION IN GENERAL AGRICULTURE

Abstract

The article analyzes the role of cotton in general agriculture, its economic, agrotechnical, and social significance. Cotton is a major technical crop in many countries, including Uzbekistan. It provides fiber, cottonseed, oil, meal, and other products, supplying raw materials to the textile, oil-and-fat, and livestock industries, and increasing employment in rural areas. The article also examines cotton's role in crop rotation, its impact on soil fertility, and the main problems in its cultivation (water scarcity, soil salinization, climate change, pests and diseases, declining soil fertility). The analysis shows that to maintain cotton's importance and ensure its sustainability, it is necessary to implement crop rotation, water-saving technologies, improve salt-tolerant and early-maturing varieties, apply integrated protection systems, and deeply process raw materials. The article concludes by considering both the beneficial and problematic aspects of cotton cultivation and offers practical recommendations.