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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Cotton Production and Processing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #105251
Title: COST/TRADE-OFFS OF STRIPPER MOUNTED BUR-EXTRACTORS FROM THE COTTON INDUSTRYPERSPECTIVE

Author
item NELSON, JEANNIE - TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
item MISRA, SUKANT - TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
item BENNETT, BLAKE - TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
item Brashears, Alan

Submitted to: Texas Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: NELSON, J., MISRA, S.K., BENNETT, BLAKE K., BRASHEARS, A.D. COST/TRADE-OFFS OF STRIPPER MOUNTED BUR EXTRACTORS FROM THE COTTON INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE. TEXAS JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES. 1998. P. 87-96.

Interpretive Summary: A major disadvantage of stripper harvested cotton is the high trash content. Bur-extractors have been found to be an effective method to significantly reduce the foreign matter in stripper harvested cotton. The economic advantage to the producer can easily be seen for the produce due the savings in ginning cost due to the reduced amount of seed cotton processed at the gin. The economical effect on the gin is much harder to realize as some advantages to the gin are more subtle and much harder to establish a monetary value. This study indicated that cotton producers incur net savings of about $6.00 per bale as a result of using a bur- extractor in the harvesting process while the gins incur a net loss of about $3.00 per bale of cotton by processing bur-extracted cotton. Utiliz- ing this information, ginners can more effectively evaluate the effect of bur extractors on their operation and determine more precisely their operational costs and the ginning charges to producers.

Technical Abstract: This study provides estimates of cost/trade-offs of stripper mounted bur- extractors from the produce, ginner and the overall cotton industry perspective. Results indicated that cotton producers incur net savings of about $6.00 per bale as a result of using a bur-extractor in the harvesting process. It was also determined that gins incur a net loss of about $3.00 per bale of cotton by processing bur-extracted cotton. The overall cotton industry was thus found to experience savings of about $3.00 per bale when bur-extractors are used in the harvesting process.