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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310557
Title: Ginning efficiency - research progress

Author
item Bechere, Efrem
item Boykin Jr, James
item Hardin Iv, Robert
item Fang, David
item Islam, Md

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/2/2014
Publication Date: 1/5/2015
Citation: Bechere, E., Boykin Jr, J.C., Hardin Iv, R.G., Fang, D.D., Islam, M.S. 2015. Ginning efficiency - research progress. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. January 2-5, 2015.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In the past few years, there has been a consorted effort between cotton geneticists/breeders, ginning engineers and molecular scientists to understand ‘ginning efficiency’ in upland cotton. Ginning efficiency includes ginning rate (measured in g lint sec-1) and net gin stand energy (measured in Wh kg-1 lint). Improved ginning efficiency incorporates both reduced net gin stand energy usage (that above idling) and increased ginning rate. Tests for ginning efficiency have indicated that significant differences existed between cultivars for these traits. These differences were attributed to fiber-seed attachment forces. Cultivars with lower attachment forces consumed the least amount of net gin stand energy. It was also found that ginning rates were consistently negatively correlated with fuzz percent and positively correlated with net gin stand energy. Fuzz percent also had higher heritability and higher genetic advances from selection when compared to ginning rate and net gin stand energy. It is also faster and cheaper to measure and therefore can be used as a selection criteria for ginning efficiency by cotton breeders. So far, enough ginning and genetic information has been collected to enable cotton breeders to include ginning efficiency as a value-added trait in cotton improvement. Molecular studies to identify QTL associated with ginning rate and net gin stand energy is underway.