ABSTRACT
The term fiber maturity is generally understood to refer to the degree of development or
thickening of the fiber secondary wall [566,567]. Fiber maturity is a function of the growing
conditions that can control the rate of wall development and of catastrophic occurrences such
as premature termination of growth due to such factors as insect infestation, disease, or frost.
As we have seen, the fiber develops as a cylindrical cell with a thickened wall. As the diameter
of the fiber cylinder is largely genetic or species-dependent, a simple absolute measure of the
thickness of the fiber secondary wall is not sufficient to define maturity. Probably the best
definition of cotton fiber maturity has been proposed by Raes and Verschraege [568] who
state ‘‘. . . the maturity of cotton fibers consists in defining it as the average relative wall
thickness.’’ What is implied in this statement is that maturity is the thickness of the cell wall
relative to the diameter or perimeter of the fiber.
