The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) has announced a cotton sustainability challenge. Researchers and innovators are invited to propose solutions to improve crop production on earth. Funding will be provided to scientists and researchers who can come up with ways to make cotton farming more effective and sustainable.

Cotton sustainability solutions may include projects in plant biology, water technology or remote sensing technologies. The challenge will leverage a broad range of disciplines to find breakthrough solutions that can be implemented affordably and benefit the cotton production community.

Researchers are encouraged to submit concepts focused on, but not limited to fluid dynamics, fluid flow, cotton or plant germination, different cultivars of cotton genetics, water uptake and gene expression. Data generated from research experiments selected will be provided to the public with the hope that the discoveries made can be leveraged by other researchers and product developers.

Cotton is a natural plant fiber produced in many countries and one of the most important raw materials required for the production of textiles and clothing. Cotton cultivation requires sustainable access to natural resources like water that are increasingly threatened. Many of the consumer products in use today, from T-shirts, to jeans, to bed sheets, to coffee filters, are derived from cotton.