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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #145367
Title: MOISTURE RESTORATION FOR SEED COTTON, TWO APPROACHES

Author
item Byler, Richard

Submitted to: 2003 Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/17/2003
Publication Date: 6/10/2003
Citation: BYLER, R.K. MOISTURE RESTORATION FOR SEED COTTON, TWO APPROACHES. 2003 BELTWIDE COTTON CONFERENCE. 2003. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary: Cotton ginning research has shown that the moisture content of the fiber when it is ginned affects the quality of the resulting fiber, especially the length of the fiber. Due to weather conditions the fiber moisture content varies considerably when it enters the gin and often is drier than ideal. Currently cotton gin plants have considerable capacity to dry cotton which wetter than ideal but few gins have equipment which can increase the fiber moisture content when it is drier than ideal. Also, there is little information available regarding the results of using and operation of equipment which adds moisture ahead of the gin stand. In this study two methods were employed to add moisture to cotton fiber before it was ginned and fiber properties, especially the length properties, were measured. This study showed that the moisture content of the fiber when ginned was much more important than the method of getting the moisture into the fiber in affecting the length properties. The higher moisture content fiber, within the range studied, resulted in significantly longer fiber for the producer with no significant loss in any other fiber property. This data showed that the fiber in a bale of cotton would be worth about $5.00 more if ginned at 1% higher moisture content, based solely on the fiber length.

Technical Abstract: Research results over the years have shown that fiber quality is improved when lint moisture content at the gin stand is in the range 6 to 7 percent wet basis compared to lower levels. Under many conditions lint is drier than that when it arrives at the gin. This research added moisture to seed cotton in two ways before it was ginned. Then the fiber properties were examined by AFIS testing after ginning. The fiber length properties were highly correlated with the lint moisture content behind the gin stand and were less significantly or not significantly correlated with the method of attaining the lint moisture content. The other AFIS fiber properties related to trash, maturity, and neps were not significantly affected by the method of attaining the lint moisture level and nearly all of the other AFIS properties were not significantly affected by the moisture level of the fiber.