THE IMPORTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE USE OF COTTON WASTE IN THE GROWING OF PLANT SEEDLINGS USEFUL ASPECTS

ABSTRACT

This article highlights the resul  ts of scientific research on resource conservation, in particular, the utilization, i.e., recycling of industrial waste from cotton ginning enterprises. Cotton waste is processed according to a special technology, and a cylindrical waste glass - a biostake - is produced. Various plant seedlings are grown in biostalls. As a result of their use in land areas, ecological and agrotechnological issues will be positively resolved. Such issues as obtaining high yields of plants, intensive land use, increasing the fertility of soils, and creating the foundations of organic farming will be resolved

АННОТАЦИЯ

В статье представлены результаты научных исследований в области ресурсосбережения, в частности, утилизации, то есть переработки промышленных отходов хлопкоочистительных предприятий. Хлопковые отходы перерабатываются по специальной технологии, в результате чего получается цилиндрический стеклянный лом – биокол. В биоколах выращивается рассада различных растений. В результате их использования на земельных участках будут положительно решены экологические и агротехнологические проблемы, такие как получение высокой урожайности растений, интенсивное землепользование, повышение плодородия почв и создание основ органического земледелия.

Keywords: vegetable, greenhouse, leaching, cotton waste, soil method, pressing, biostatic, biohumus, resource-saving, productivity, sweet potato, organic farming.

Ключевые слова: овощная теплица, выщелачивание, хлопковые отходы, почвенный метод, прессование, биостатика, биогумус, ресурсо сбережение, урожайность, сладкий картофель, органическое земледелие.

Introduction.

To support the fruit and vegetable industry of Uzbekistan, in 2022-2025, the phased return to the reserve of 200,000 hectares of low-profit sown areas freed from cotton and grain was carried out. Of these, 80 thousand hectares of land were allocated to the population for growing fruits and vegetables. According to the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan dated October 8, 2025, it is planned to accelerate the export of fruits, vegetables, and food products in 2025-2027 and create a value-added chain. In 2026, the export volume will reach $3.5 billion, and in 2027 - $4 billion, the share of greenhouse product exports will increase from 30% to 70%, fruit and vegetable seedlings will be planted on 20,000 hectares in 2026 and 15,000 hectares in 2027[1].

Growing vegetables in greenhouses allows us to provide our people with fresh and vitamin-rich products even during the snowy and frosty days of the year. The products grown in our country's greenhouse areas are sufficient not only to supply the domestic market but also for export to foreign countries. In recent years, the Research Institute of Vegetable, Melon Crops and Potatoes has been widely implementing measures such as intensive seasonal crop rotation, increasing soil fertility using local loosening materials (wood shavings, rice husks, hemp fiber, cotton waste, sand), a system of measures to combat diseases and pests, increasing labor productivity and reducing labor costs, and growing vegetables using a small-scale soil method, which ensures the cultivation of products even in saline areas[2].

Scientists of the Andijan State Technical Institute have discovered a method for growing plant seedlings by pressing cotton waste into a glass on a special pressing machine and using biohumus in it, and for several years scientific research has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of this method and its importance in environmental protection. Currently, results of scientific and economic significance have been obtained in this regard.

Materials and methods. It is known that in the technological process of cotton cleaning at cotton ginning enterprises, several products are separated. Dust and pollutants generated as a result of technological processes are trapped in the dust and gas cleaning equipment of enterprises, and after cleaning, the air is released into the atmosphere. Waste mainly consists of weeds, cotton bolls, empty seeds, inorganic dust, and partially cotton fibers; these generated wastes are not reused in industry and are used as waste in a number of industries, including feeding livestock, composting, and heat generation by decomposing in greenhouses[3].

   1 - Cyclone waste;                                    2 - Chalk waste;                       3 - Tomato seeds sown on Chalk waste.

Figure 1. Various types of industrial waste from cotton ginning enterprises prepared for growing plant seedlings

When using in greenhouses for the purpose of obtaining heat by decomposition, trenches of a certain width and depth are dug, filled with waste, sprinkled with water, soil, seeds are sown, and covered with polyethylene film. The main composition of waste consists of organic substances. Figure 1 shows various types of cotton waste prepared for experiments in flower pots. As a result of the decomposition of these wastes under the influence of sufficient humidity and an airless environment, the wastes turn into humus. As a result, heat is released as a result of the decomposition of organic matter, which ensures the early germination of sown seeds. Thanks to this process, it is possible to grow early vegetables, vitamin-rich greens, and berries without energy resources. As a result of the decomposition of waste into humus, the fertility of land increases. This situation was reflected in experiments conducted to study the transformation of waste into humus in flower pots. Figure 2 shows the waste that has transformed into humus[4].

Results and discussions.

Taking into account the above-mentioned properties of these wastes, various plant seedlings were grown using pressed waste in a certain form - in particular, in the form of a cylindrical cup - as a substrate instead of soil. Also, flower pots were filled with waste, biohumus and sand were placed on top of the waste and various plant seeds were sown, after the seeds germinated, enough seedlings were left in the pot and continued until the end of the growing season. Figures 2 and 3 depict seedlings of tomatoes, pistachios, and cotton grown in flower pots and waste glasses.

Figure 2. Tomato seedlings grown in a flower pot

Figure 3. Cotton, pistachio, and tomato seedlings grown in flower pots and cup-shaped pressed waste

As a result of the efficient utilization of cotton waste, a number of environmental problems will be solved. In particular, polyethylene bags used in the cultivation of seedlings will be discontinued, and pollution of the environment with polyethylene waste will be prevented. Organic waste in the form of a glass, when planted with seedlings, decomposes in the soil and becomes a source of increasing soil fertility. The foundations of organic farming will be created, clean ecological products will be grown, the possibility of efficient use of low-fertility land will be created, and soil fertility will be enriched. The possibility of growing economically efficient plants as a repeated crop on land freed from grain crops is created.As a result of manual planting of plant seedlings grown in this glass, due to the reduction of mechanized processes used in the cultivation of crops, such as plowing, land leveling, furrowing, processing, energy savings are achieved, the compaction of land areas is reduced, environmental pollution is achieved, and great economic efficiency is achieved. In small-volume soil methods, as a result of using it instead of imported substrates, compacting and pressing chalk, which is the final waste of cotton ginning enterprises, completely abandons the soil for growing seedlings and uses it as a substrate, which shows its effectiveness in many ways. This will allow for the import of substrates such as coconut shells, the issue of their import, and the saving of foreign currency[5].

Figure 4. The flower is a putrid waste in the pot

It is known that in small-scale technologies abroad - that is, in hydroponics technology, which is widely used in heated "greenhouses," coconut substrate, peat, moss, coniferous tree bark, as well as minerals such as pearlite, expanded clay, vermiculite, mineral wool, etc. are used as innovative solutions.Due to the scarcity of these substrates in Uzbekistan, these products are imported from abroad and a large amount of foreign currency is spent, but most of them are not widely used due to their high cost[5].

The waste from the pressed cotton gin - that is, the biostaker - is pressed on special machines by mixing with substances that give the pressed material adhesive properties - heated clay and water. The resulting cup cavity can be filled with biohumus and planted with various plant seeds or plant cuttings. Since the cavity of the biobaker is filled with biohumus, all the necessary nutrients will be sufficient during the plant's growing season. Therefore, no additional feeds are given, only sufficient moisture is maintained. As a result of the decomposition of cellulose, which is the main component of the biostake, under the influence of underground moisture, additional nutrients are formed for plants and become a source of increasing soil fertility. After germination, the seedlings planted in these cups continue to develop until sufficient conditions are created for the planting sites. Due to the density of the biostake, it can be easily transported to planting sites in special boxes. Plant seeds germinate somewhat earlier due to the heat generated from the decomposition of the waste container until sufficient temperature reaches the ground.

Heating the soil during the formation of a biostake ensures that it is free from various possible diseases and bacteria, and there is no need to use mineral fertilizers and pesticides during the next growing season. As a result, it is possible to obtain an early, environmentally friendly, resource-saving, and economically efficient harvest.This technology was used by our ancestors-farmers first in paper cups, and later in cups made of polyethylene films. Currently, as a result of the harmful environmental consequences of polyethylene films, it is being abandoned worldwide from the point of view of food security and soil contamination. Secondly, during the process of removing seedlings from plastic bags during planting, the roots of the seedlings and as a result, there is a high probability that the seedling will not develop and will wither. In our republic, in particular, in 2024, more than 3.0 million tons of raw cotton were grown, and in the process of their processing, about 150.0 thousand tons of organic waste are formed.These wastes are subject to appropriate disposal in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Waste."

Industrial waste from cotton ginning enterprises "Cyclone waste" and "chalk" were weighed on analytical scales in laboratory conditions by 200 grams, and with the help of tweezers, the 1st trash, 2nd boll bolls, 3rd cotton fibers, 4th organic dust and cotton leaves, and 5th cotton seeds were separated from it and each was weighed separately. The results of the conducted experiments are shown in Fig. 5. According to it, the largest amount of waste was cotton fiber, the amount of which in the sample of 200 grams was 82.29 grams, or 40.3% of the total waste, the next largest amount was cotton fiber, the amount of which was 54.62 grams, and in the percentage26.8, followed by organic pollen and cotton leaves, the amount of which was 42.4 grams or 20.7%, and the remaining composition consisted of weeds and empty seeds. The main composition of the waste is cellulose [6]

Figure 5. Results of the conducted experiments

Description of the structure of laboratory equipment for the production of substrate cups based on waste and the technology for producing cups in it. The laboratory equipment is shown in Figure 6, which consists of a metal structure, consisting of a base, frame, screw, base, press mold, piston, and variable bases[7].

Figure 6. Adapted for pressing waste into glasses screw pressing machine

As a result of planting seedlings grown in glasses in field areas, the land areas are provided with additional organic matter. As a result, land plots were provided with macro- and microelements necessary for plant growth. This, in turn, makes it possible to reduce the consumption of mineral fertilizers. The foundations of organic farming are created as a result of the minimal or complete exclusion of mineral fertilizers.

The use of biostations in plant cultivation reduces mechanization, saves energy resources, produces environmentally friendly products, increases yields, reduces susceptibility to various diseases and bacteria due to the provision of sufficient nutrient media, and reduces the use of pesticides. In particular, comparative experiments conducted on the sweet potato plant show that the yield indicator is somewhat higher in both varieties.

Results of the experiment on the sweet potato plant. 

Figure 7. Diagram of comparison of the main agrotechnical indicators of the experiment on the "Khazina" variety of sweet potatoes in blue color variant "Experiment" variant red color variant "Control." 

Figure 8. Diagram of comparison of the main agrotechnical indicators of the experiment on the "Khazina-1" variety of sweet potatoes in blue color. The "Experiment" variant, and the "Control" variant in red.

As can be seen from the experiments, the yield indicator in the 1st variant was higher by 64 centners per hectare, and in the 2nd variant - by 51 centners per hectare[8].

Conclusion.

As a result of the implementation of this technology, the issue of waste disposal will be resolved, and due to the use of the biostation, the following results will be achieved in some areas of agriculture:

- At the republican level, the utilization of organic waste generated at cotton ginning enterprises will be addressed;

- early and environmentally friendly products are grown from agricultural crops, thanks to which an increase in the export potential of agricultural products is achieved;

- reduction of 5 technological processes (plowing, leveling, furrowing, cultivation, application of mineral fertilizers) is achieved due to the absence of mechanization when using it as a repeated crop;

- the impact on the environment is reduced by reducing soil compaction and saving energy resources by reducing technological processes performed using mechanization;

- increases soil fertility by introducing organic waste into sown areas;

- economic efficiency is achieved by reducing the application of mineral and organic fertilizers per hectare and saving energy resources.

References:

1. Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Additional Measures to Increase the Efficiency of Greenhouse Farms and Increase the Volume of Exports" 08.10.2025.
2. Internet pages: E.Lyan, S.Alimukhamedov
3. Yusupov.I.I.,Mambetullaeva.S.M.,Abdurakhmanov.A.,Khodzhakulov.M.N "Results of growing plant seedlings on cotton waste substrates" "Bulletin of the Khorezm Mamun Academy" 2025, pages 1/100-106
4. Yusupov I.I., Kabulova N.J., Khojiev A. Patent for invention No IAP 06653. Method of growing seedlings of agricultural crops Agency for Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan
5. Yagovkin V.V. Organic Substances for Small-Volume Cultivation of Tomatoes and Oгурцов in the Northeastern Region of Russia. RASK, VNIIO. Dissertation candidate of agricultural sciences, PhD. Moscow, 2007.
6. Yusupov.I.I. Machine for making cups for growing seedlings using small technologies. Collection of materials of the international scientific-practical conference. Andijan, October 3, 2023.
7. Yusupov.I.I. Machine for making cups for growing seedlings using small technologies. Collection of materials of the international scientific-practical conference. Andijan, October 3, 2023.
8. Yusupov I.I., Mambetullaeva S.M. "Ecological principles of the application of resource-saving technologies in the cultivation of the sweet potato plant." Materials of the Republican Scientific and Practical Conference "Modern Problems and Solutions for the Preservation of Biological Diversity in the Fergana Valley."