ARS | Publication request: EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE LINT CLEANING ON THE VALUE AND QUALITY OF STRIPPER HARVESTED COTTON

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 6, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Saw lint cleaning at cotton gins has large effects on the quality and value of ginned fiber. While a number of studies have addressed these issues over the years, there continues to be a need to occasionally revisit this ques- tion as industry changes occur in cotton variety usage, grading standards, lint cleaner design and usage, and as new fiber quality measuring techni- ques are developed. Lint cleaning studies were conducted over the past five-year period to provide fresh performance data for multiple lint clean- ers used to process stripper harvested cotton. The effects of 1, 2, and 3 stages of saw-type lint cleaning on HVI properties, bale value, and trash content were documented for 24 test cottons. This study also included an analysis of the effects of lint cleaning on quality parameters produced by the relatively new Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS). In general, increased amounts of lint cleaning tended to improve HVI color and leaf grades and corresponding loan and market premiums. Beyond one stage of lin cleaning, however, these increases in grade premiums were very small and partially offset by discounts due to shorter staple lengths. Consequently, 21 of the 24 test cottons required only one stage of lint cleaning to maxi- mize bale value. Only 3 test cottons required two stages of lint cleaning for maximum value. While multiple stages lint cleaning tended to adversely affect fiber length, short fiber content, and nep level, the adverse ef- fects from the first lint cleaner were relatively small and often statis- tically insignificant. Also, these modest changes in fiber length and nep level were offset to a large degree by large improvements in trash content. Two, and especially 3, stages of lint cleaning resulted in greater levels of fiber damage with only modest improvements in trash content and grade.

Technical Abstract: Measurements were made over a five-year period to evaluate the effects of multiple stages of lint cleaning on the quality and value of stripper harvested cotton. Twenty-four test cottons representing five commercial stripper-type cotton varieties were used in these evaluations. Bale loan and market values and fiber quality measurements by the HVI system and AFIS Sare presented for samples collected before and after one, two and three stages of standard saw-type lint cleaning.