A procedure known as high-volume instrumentation is the cotton industry's standard tool for determining the length, strength and natural color of cotton. Adding another process--called near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR)--can also reveal bulk maturity, a characteristic that's key to how well the cotton will take dye. Dye imperfections cost the U.S. cotton industry approximately $200 million annually. NIR uses light wavelengths that the human eye can't see to detect otherwise invisible fiber qualities. NIR failed to win industry acceptance in the past because of shortcomings in speed and accuracy. Now researchers have improved the mechanical design. One improvement: The new system uses a larger cotton sample pressed against a bigger glass plate, where the light waves shoot through the fiber. The bigger sample helps reduce measurement errors. Also, the mathematical equations used to analyze the NIR readings have been fine- tuned. In tests, the improved NIR analysis showed less than two percent error in its ability to predict cotton maturity.
Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, LA
Joe Montalvo, (504) 286-4249

Last Updated: July 14, 1997
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