Finding new market opportunities for cotton is one of the most important goals of Cotton Incorporated.

Now, through cooperative research with Mulch & Seed Innovations and USDA, an all-natural cotton fiber hydromulch made from ginning by-product is on the market.

According to Cotton Incorporated's Director of Cottonseed Research and Marketing Tom Wedegaertner, by-products left from the cotton ginning process create nearly 2.5 million tons of bio-mass each year. "We've now found a way to convert a portion of this into a hydromulch that works really well controlling erosion and protecting soil," he says.

The technology behind the hydromulch takes advantage of cotton's naturally porous, absorbent and biodegradable characteristics to establish germination and add nutrients to the soil – preparing it for long-term erosion control. More information about the hydromulch products – GeoSkin cotton hydromulch (used for flat terrains), and HydraCX2 cotton hydromulch (used for semi-slopes) – can be found at mulchandseed.com.