Last week’s column discussed some facts about agriculture in general and corn facts. Cotton and soybeans will be covered this week.

Farmers in more than 30 U.S. states grow soybeans, making soybeans the country’s second-largest crop in cash sales and the number one value crop export.

Some farmers in Kleberg county have tried them in the past. Soy ink is used to print textbooks and newspapers.

The soybean is the highest natural source of dietary fiber. The livestock industry is the largest consumer of soy meal.

In 2008, soybeans represented 56 percent of world oilseed production, and 33 percent of those soybeans were produced by the American farmer.

The U.S. exported 1.16 billion bushels (31.6 million metric tons) of soybeans in 2008, which accounted for 40 percent of the world’s soybean trade.

A 60-pound bushel of soybeans yields about 48 pounds of protein-rich meal and 11 pounds of oil. One and a half gallons of biodiesel and 48 pounds of soybean meal can be produced from one bushel of soybeans.

Kleberg County farmers hope to rebound this year by planting some cotton, which has been a staple crop for years in South Texas and the Coastal Bend.

For the first time ever last year, there was not a bale of cotton produced due to the prolonged drought.

A bale of cotton weighs about 500 pounds. U.S. textile mills will spin almost 3 million bales of cotton this year. That’s enough cotton to make more than 600 million pairs of men’s jeans and more than 2 billion men’s dress shirts.

One bale of cotton can make the following: 215 Pairs of Jeans, 249 Bed Sheets, 409 Men’s Sport Shirts, 690 Terry Bath Towels, 765 Men’s Dress Shirts, and 1,217 Men’s T-Shirts.

Also a bale makes: 1,256 Pillowcases, 2,104 Pairs of Boxer Shorts, 2,419 Pairs of Men’s Briefs, 3,085 Diapers, 4,321 Mid-Calf Socks, 6,436 Pairs of Women’s Knit Briefs, 21,960 Women’s Handkerchiefs, and yes 313,600 $100 Bills.

Cotton was one of the first cultivated plants. There is evidence that the cotton plant was cultivated in India as long as 5,000 years ago. Specimens of cotton cloth as old as 5,000 years have been found in Peru, and scientists have found ancient specimens of the cotton plant dating 7,000 years old in caves near Mexico City.

Cotton was one of the resources sought by Columbus, and while he did not manage to find a shorter route to India, he did find species of cotton growing wild in the West Indies.

Cotton seeds are valuable by-products. The seeds are delinted by a similar process to ginning.

Some linter is used to make candle wicks, string, cotton balls, cotton batting, paper, and cellulose products such as rayon, plastics, photographic film, and cellophane.

The delinted seeds are crushed and the kernel is separated from the hull and squeezed. The cottonseed oil is obtained from the kernels.

For more information about conservation and programs, please contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Kingsville at 401 East King, Ste. 100 or call at 592- 0309 Ext. 3.