POSS 3 is a cotton variety (Gossypium hirsutum L.) designed for cultivation in the arid zone of the North Caucasus. The plant is of medium height, conical in shape, with medium leaf density and a moderate number of nodes up to the first fruiting branch. The longest vegetative branch and the first fruiting branch have medium length, ensuring good stem structure and optimal access to sunlight.
Key product characteristics include medium raw cotton content (≈ 16.9 tons/ha) and high seed yield (≈ 10.5 tons/ha). The weight of 1000 seeds is 120g, and the weight of raw cotton from one boll is 6.1g. The variety's fibers have medium length (staple length 32.4 mm), a linear density of 170 mtex, and Type V, making them suitable for mechanical harvesting and further processing in the textile industry.
Botanically, the plant is characterized by a root system reaching a depth of up to 3 meters, a branched stem up to 2 meters high, and leaves with a lobed shape (3–5 lobes). Flowers are creamy, and bolls are oval, open in longitudinal section. Inside each boll are medium-sized seeds surrounded by a white fibrous mass of cotton, consisting of short hairy and long fluffy fibers. The variety is resistant to diseases and is weakly susceptible to pests such as spider mites and aphids.
Thus, POSS 3 combines high yield, suitability for mechanical harvesting, and excellent fiber properties, making it a valuable raw material for the textile industry and agriculture in arid regions.
