ARS | Publication request: ESTIMATION OF BALE MOISTURE CONTENT WITH A MALCAM MMC-4000

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: June 18, 1997
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Measurement of cotton moisture before, during and after the cotton ginning process is critical to maintaining fiber quality and ensuring optimum farmer profits. Technology to accurately measure fiber moisture in the packaged bale does not exist in the United States. As a result, commercial devices were obtained from MALCAM LTD, Tel-Aviv, Israel, and tested in two commercial gins in the United States. Results indicate that the devices can be used to estimate bale moisture after corrections are made for bale temperature and bale weight, and farmer income could be increased about $5.00 per bale.

Technical Abstract: A mode1 MMC-4000, microwave-based technology, bale moisture sensor, manufactured by MALCAM Limited of Tel-Aviv, Israel, was evaluated in two gins in the South in 1996. The MMC-4000 responded directly to differences in moisture content in bales of cotton. At one gin most differences occurred between +/- 0.4%; at the other gin, the MMC-4000 indicated moisture levels at about 0.5% higher than oven moistures. In addition to moisture, the instrument responded strongly to temperature of the cotton as measured immediately before the tramper and to bale weight. Future research should address the impact of temperature and bale weight on moisture readings by the MMC-4000.