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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 #431976
Research Project: Enhancing the Profitability and Sustainability of Cotton Fiber, Seed, and Byproducts through Innovations in Harvesting, Ginning, and Post-Ginning Processes

Location: Cotton Production and Processing Research

Title: Comparing seed cotton moisture measuring methods

Author
item VAN DER SLUJS, M - Textile Technical Services
item Wanjura, John
item Delhom, Christopher

Submitted to: The Australian Cottongrower
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/13/2026
Publication Date: 2/16/2026
Citation: Van Der Slujs, M.H., Wanjura, J.D., Delhom, C.D. 2026. Comparing seed cotton moisture measuring methods. The Australian Cottongrower.

Interpretive Summary: Knowing the moisture content of seed cotton at harvest is critical to maintaining cotton quality after storage, maximizing gin efficiency, and preserving marketable fiber and seed. Thus, cotton growers benefit economically by properly managing seed cotton moisture content at harvest. Several hand-held and harvester based systems were evaluated in this study to determine their accuracy relative to the oven based reference method for measuring seed cotton moisture content. The resistance and micro-wave based systems exhibited enhanced performance relative to the harvester mounted moisture measurement system installed by the manufacturer. Safe moisture content threshold values for seed cotton moisture content were different for each system. Thus, cotton growers and ginners should pay close attention to the moisture readings in light of the specific measurement system used.

Technical Abstract: Proper management of seed cotton moisture in round modules is critical to maintaining cotton quality, value, and for maximizing gin efficiency. When compared to the oven-based gravimetric reference method for seed cotton moisture content, the accuracy and variability of non-reference method seed cotton moisture sensing systems were different among devices. The VOMAX micro-wave based instrument exhibited the lowest measurement error and variability of any of the systems tested. The scale of the moisture readings from each device were different which affected recommended thresholds for safe storage in round modules. For example, an 11% reference method seed cotton moisture content would equate to 12% and 14.9% for the spindle-picker and stripper-based moisture sensors, respectively. The same 11% reference moisture content value would be equivalent to Delmhorst resistance based system readings of 17.3 and 13.5% for the spindle picked cotton and stripper harvested cotton, respectively. The VOMAX instrument indicated moisture levels of 12.6% for spindle picked cotton and 11% for stripped cotton when oven reference moisture content was 11%. The dynamic ranges of the VOMAX and Delmhorst systems were adequate to indicate unsafe moisture content conditions for storage in round modules in MS and TX but the capacitance based system installed on the harvesters exhibited unreliable performance at high moisture levels.