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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #117685
Title: ENZYME TREATMENT OF HONEYDEW-CONTAMINATED COTTON FIBER

Author
item Hendrix, Donald
item Henneberry, Thomas
item Chu, Chang Chi
item COATES, WAYNE - UNIV. AZ, TUCSON, AZ

Submitted to: Applied Engineering in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2001
Publication Date: 12/1/2001
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cotton fiber contaminated with insect honeydew causes serious processing problems in cotton gins and textile mills. The use of a carbohydrate- degrading enzyme to reduce the stickiness of honeydew-contaminated cotton was tested in a system designed to simulate cotton modules. In these tests honeydew-contaminated cotton was placed in 64 cubic foot plywood boxes lined with plastic and compressed to the density of seedcotton in modules. As the seedcotton was packed into these boxes it was sprayed with several levels of an aqueous enzyme solution which acted to degrade honeydew sugars. The seedcotton in these boxes was then examined over a six week storage period. It was found that some enzyme treatments did reduce fiber stickiness and the extractable sugar content of the cotton fiber but highest rates of enzyme application caused the cotton fiber to become discolored and the compressed cotton to heat significantly above ambient.

Technical Abstract: Cotton fiber contaminated with insect honeydew causes serious processing problems in cotton gins and textile mills. The use of a carbohydrate- degrading enzyme to reduce the stickiness of honeydew-contaminated cotton was tested in a system designed to simulate cotton modules. For this test, cotton modules consisting of 1.8 cubic meter plastic-lined wooden boxes were packed with seedcotton contaminated with sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisi tabaci (Gennadius), honeydew. Treatments were a factorial arrangement of 0, 295 and 824 enzyme units at 8, 10 and 12% seed cotton moisture. An untreated control was also included. The cotton in these boxes was compressed to a density of 146 to 216 kg per cubic meter. As the seedcotton was packed into the boxes each kg was sprayed with up to 800 enzyme units of carbohydrate-degrading enzyme in water at rates of between 0.08 and 0.26 liters per kg seedcotton. The thermal behavior and stickiness of the seedcotton in the simulated modules, and the length, strength, and color of the cotton fiber were measured during a six week storage period after module packing. Sprays containing medium or high enzyme rates and 8% lint moisture content did reduce the stickiness and extractable sugar content of the fiber but at higher rates of enzyme application, moduled cotton became discolored after extended module storage.