What is the purpose of defoliation in cotton harvesting?

The purpose of defoliation in cotton harvesting is primarily to remove leaves and improve harvest efficiency. By eliminating the leaves, the cotton plants direct their energy and nutrients more effectively into the bolls, which contain the cotton fibers. This reduces the biomass that harvesters have to process and helps in making the cotton easier to pick, whether it is by hand or machine.

Defoliation can also facilitate better access to the bolls for harvesting machinery, ensuring that the crop can be collected more completely and quickly. This is particularly important in large-scale commercial operations where efficiency and speed during harvest are critical for both yield preservation and cost management.

While other options touch on important aspects of cotton production, such as yield, fiber quality, or irrigation, they do not accurately reflect the specific role of defoliation in the harvesting process. The main aim is to improve the efficiency of cotton harvesting, making option B the most suitable choice in this context.