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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #190473
Title: EFFECTS OF LINT MOISTURE ON FIBER QUALITY AND TURNOUT FROM FOUR COTTON VARIETIES

Author
item Ray, Sam
item Anthony, William

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2006
Publication Date: 6/10/2006
Citation: Ray, S.J., Anthony, W.S. 2006. Effects of lint moisture on fiber quality and turnout from four cotton varieties. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. CD ROM pp. 585-592.

Interpretive Summary: The competitive global marketplace demands that the effects of moisture on fiber quality and lint yield be well known and used to improve gin processing. This study evaluated the influence of four different levels of lint moisture on lint yield and the qualitative properties that directly affect the market value of cotton fiber. Four commonly grown cotton varieties were incorporated into the test and were also compared for the same qualitative and quantitative variables as in the moisture analysis. The test was conducted using conventional ginning sequence for spindle-harvested cotton. Accounting for both quality and turnout, results generally indicated that the highest returns were achieved while ginning cotton at moisture contents of 5.6% and 6.2%, exceeding the bale value at 4.0% lint moisture by up to $10 per bale, depending on variety. The varietal comparison reflected that variety DP 5415 had the highest monetary returns based upon lint quality and turnout, exceeding the bale value from varieties DP 555, STV 4892, and SG 215 by $19, $25, and $34 per bale, respectively. When moisture at ginning is controlled, farmer profits could increase as much as $200 million annually.

Technical Abstract: Past research has shown that lint moisture during gin processing heavily influences the final quality of ginned fiber. This study quantified the differences in the fiber characteristics and turnout from four commonly grown cotton varieties (DP 555, DP 5415, STV 4892, and SG 215) over four moisture regimes (4.0, 4.8, 5.6, and 6.2% (wet basis)). High Volume Instrument (HVI) analysis revealed that ginning at the higher lint moisture contents generally improved the fiber length and uniformity, but also increased trash content in ginned lint and reduced reflectance. Two of the four varieties revealed significantly higher Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) loan values at the highest moisture content than at the lowest. The highest turnout average across varieties was 37.7% while ginning at a moisture content of 5.6%. Considering both fiber quality and turnout, no significant differences were found among moisture levels when averaging across varieties, but the general trend for most varieties showed the highest value per mass of seed cotton occurred at a moisture content of 5.6%. DP 5415 had the significantly highest loan value of 57.6 cents/lb, while DP 555 had the lowest value at 53.6 cents/lb. Varieties DP 555 and DP 5415 had the highest turnouts of 38.8% and 38.5%, respectively, while SG 215 had the lowest at 35.2%. Accounting for fiber quality and turnout, DP 5415 yielded the highest returns with $289 per 1300 lbs of seed cotton, which was $34, $25, and $19 more than SG 215, STV 4892, and DP 555, respectively. However, these results do not include the yield per acre which is required for a complete economic analysis.