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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Cotton Production and Processing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #383919
Research Project: Enhancing the Profitability and Sustainability of Upland Cotton, Cottonseed, and Agricultural Byproducts through Improvements in Pre- and Post-Harvest Processing

Location: Cotton Production and Processing Research

Title: Opportunities for robotic systems and automation in cotton production

Author
item BARNES, EDWARD - Cotton, Inc
item MORGAN, GAYLON - Cotton, Inc
item HAKE, KATER - Cotton, Inc
item DEVINE, JON - Cotton, Inc
item KURTZ, RYAN - Cotton, Inc
item IBENDAHL, GREGORY - Kansas State University
item SHARDA, AJAY - Kansas State University
item RAINS, GLEN - University Of Georgia
item SNIDER, JOHN - University Of Georgia
item MAJA, JOE - Clemson University
item THOMASON, ALEX - Mississippi State University
item LU, YUZHEN - Mississippi State University
item GHARAKHANI, HUSSEIN - Mississippi State University
item GRIFFIN, JAMES - Texas A&M University
item KIMURA, EMI - Texas A&M University
item HARDIN, ROBERT - Texas A&M University
item RAPER, TYSON - University Of Tennessee
item SIERRA, YOUNG - North Carolina State University
item FUE, KADEGHE - North Carolina State University
item Pelletier, Mathew
item Wanjura, John
item Holt, Gregory

Submitted to: AgriEngineering
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/25/2021
Publication Date: 5/28/2021
Citation: Barnes, E.M., Morgan, G., Hake, K., Devine, J., Kurtz, R., Ibendahl, G., Sharda, A., Rains, G., Snider, J., Maja, J., Thomason, A., Lu, Y., Gharakhani, H., Griffin, J., Kimura, E., Hardin, R., Raper, T., Sierra, Y., Fue, K., Pelletier, M.G., Wanjura, J.D., Holt, G.A. 2021. Opportunities for robotic systems and automation in cotton production. AgriEngineering. 3(2):339-362. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering3020023.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering3020023

Interpretive Summary: This article examines current and future ways robotics can play a meaningful role in cotton production. The results are organized to follow cotton production practices from very beginning, with land preparation, planting, throughout the growing cycle through to cotton harvest and post-harvest processing. Specific examples are high-lighted with automated weed control and harvesting through to robotic systems for removing plastic contamination from cotton during cleaning and processing of the cotton fiber into bales suitable for transport to textile factories.

Technical Abstract: Automation continues to play a greater role in agricultural production with commercial systems now available for machine vision identification of weeds and other pests, completely autonomous weed control, and robotic harvesters for fruits and vegetables. The growing availability of autonomous machines in agriculture indicates there are opportunities to increase automation in cotton production. This paper considers how current and future advances in automation has, could or will impact cotton production practices. The results are organized to follow the cotton production process from land preparation to planting to within season management through harvest and ginning. For each step, current and potential opportunities to automate processes are discussed. Specific examples include advances in automated weed control and progress made in the use of robotic systems for cotton harvest.