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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #112117
Title: GINNING UNR COTTON

Author
item Anthony, William
item Molin, William

Submitted to: Cotton Gin and Oil Mill Press
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/2000
Publication Date: 3/25/2000
Citation: Anthony, W.S., Molin, W.T. 2000. Ginning unr cotton. Cotton Gin and Oil Mill Press. 101(7): 10-14.

Interpretive Summary: Farmers are considering planting cotton in ultra narrow rows (UNR), 7.5 to 10 inches apart rather than 38 to 40 inches apart to reduce production and harvest costs. Selection of the most suitable varieties of cotton for the UNR production system is hampered by the lack of research data on fiber qualities. This study compared the ginning and fiber quality characteristics of 11 cotton varieties in side-by-side field plots near Stoneville, MS. Results indicate that the response of varieties differ substantially but that three varieties offer advantages over the other eight from a fiber length and fiber entanglement (neps) standpoint when grown in both conventional and UNR patterns. This information should enable farmers to select the most suitable varieties for both production systems.

Technical Abstract: This study determined the ginning and fiber response of 11 varieties of cotton grown with the best available conventional and ultra narrow row (UNR) production practices. After harvesting, the cotton was ginned with the standard gin sequences recommended for spindle-and stripper-harvested cotton. For the analysis across production methods, the total foreign matter ranged from 10.3% for Fibermax 963 to 16.9% for Stoneville 373. With the exception of Stoneville 474, Suregrow 501, and Fibermax 819, HVI color grade indexes were about 94 (Strict Low Middling). Leaf grade ranged from a low of 2.3 for Deltapine 50 and Deltapine 5415 to a high of 4.1 for Stoneville 474. Neps per gram, short fiber content by weight and by number, and immature fiber content averaged 252.5, 7.4%, 19.9%, and 5.2%, respectively. Neps per gram ranged from 197 for DP 5111 to 333 for DP 50. Immature fiber content ranged from 3.9 for DP 5111 to 6.0 for SG 125. For conventional cotton, turnout averaged 35.2% and ranged from 32.5% for Deltapine 50 to 36.8% for Stoneville 373. For the stripper- harvested cotton, foreign matter ranged from 16.1% for Stoneville 474 to 28.5% for Stoneville 373. Lint turnout averaged 30.5% and ranged from 28.7% for Deltapine 50 to 32.0% for Mycogen 556. All stripper-harvested samples were reduced for barkiness except Deltapine 5415, Suregrow 501, Stoneville 373, and Stoneville 474. Fibermax 819, DP 5111, and Suregrow 501 have the more desirable AFIS-quality related characteristics for both stripper and conventional harvest methods.