Today's Plants of Power

Today's Plants of Power: Cotton, Corn, and Rubber

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Of all the plants on the planet, cotton, corn and rubber have been three of the most influential ones in our world today.

Turning first to cotton, at this point in 2014, there have been nearly 116 million 480-pound bales of cotton produced.  While common is most commonly known for its textile applications in products such as clothing and bedding, cotton fibers are also used in medicine and cosmetics to make bandages and cotton balls.  Additionally, cottonseeds contain cholesterol-free, polyunsaturated fats, which may be used to produce soaps, margarine, pharmaceutical drugs, paint, candles, cosmetic products, cooking oils, and feed for livestock.  Thus, with applications in nearly all aspects of life, cotton is one of the world’s most important crops.

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Corn is another crop that dominates our world today.   Topping the list of world grain production, over 872 million metric tons of corn were produced globally in 2012 alone.  Like cotton, corn has a wide range of uses in the modern world.  Relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, corn serves as one of the world’s most important sources of food, as its kernels can be eaten on or off the cobb, canned, or frozen to provide life-sustaining nutritional value.  Additionally, corn may be used as feed for livestock, and corn starch and/or corn syrup are found in nearly all processed foods on the market.  Corn also has a wide range of uses outside the food realm, including penicillin production, ethanol, and industrial glue.

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Like corn and cotton, rubber, too, predominates nearly all aspects of modern life, highly valued for its insulating properties and its elasticity after vulcanization.  Over 12 million tons of rubber were produced worldwide in 2013, for use in products like automobile and bicycle tires, rain jackets, waterproof gloves for dishwashing, electrical products, and hairties.  Rubber is also often used industrially to make erasers, sponges, hoses, pillows, soles of shoes, and factory equipment.  While synthetic rubber is now being produced to replace natural rubber, many still argue that the properties of natural rubber are superior to those of the synthetic counterpart.

Integral to nearly every aspect of daily life, cotton, corn, and rubber are truly plants of power in the modern world.