Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #116561
Title: ULTRA NARROW ROW COTTON GINNING AND TEXTILE PERFORMANCE RESULTS

Author
item VALCO, THOMAS - COTTON INCORPORATED
item Anthony, William
item McAlister Iii, David

Submitted to: Cotton Incorporated Cotton Production Report
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/2000
Publication Date: 10/1/2000
Citation: Valco, T.D., Anthony, W.S., Mcalister III, D.D. 2000. Ultra narrow row cotton ginning and textile performance results. Cotton Incorporated Cotton Production Report. p. 1-4.

Interpretive Summary: Cotton production in the United States suffers from a severe profitability problem. A new production concept for cotton which includes growing the cotton in rows spaced 7.5 to 10 inches apart as compared to 40 inches was investigated over a two year period. The new system referred to as ultra narrow row (UNR), increases profits by reducing production costs. A negative aspect of the new system is that the narrow-row cotton must be harvested with a machine that also collects many of the plant parts. The quality of cotton fiber from this new system as it pertains to processing at the textile mill is not known. This study produced cotton from 15 growth locations in the South and Southeast and ginned at USDA facilities in Stoneville, MS. By using additional cleaning machinery at the gin for ultra narrow row cotton, the grades of cotton were the same as those produced under the conventional system with the exception of problems with segments of bark. However, fiber yield was substantially lower at the gin. Other than increased manufacturing waste, processing at the textile mill was the same for UNR and conventional cottons. If the success continues through commercial application, some cotton farmers can decrease their production costs and the future of cotton in the United States will improve.

Technical Abstract: This study investigated conventional and ultra narrow row (UNR) cotton grown in growth areas across the Midsouth and Southeast and ginned on a common gin for fiber quality after ginning and subsequent textile mill processing evaluation. The following gin machines were used for the UNR cotton: separator-dropper, feed control, dryer, cylinder cleaner, stick machine, dryer, cylinder cleaner, combination bur and stick (CBS) machine, cylinder cleaner, extractor-feeder and saw-type gin stand followed by one air-type and one saw-type lint cleaner. For the conventional cotton, the CBS machine was not used. Initial foreign matter was about three times greater for the UNR cotton. The marketing classifications, including foreign matter, were not statistically different. The major differences in classing was that the UNR cotton received 10% barky calls in 1998 and 50% in 1999. Lint turnout differed dramatically for conventional and UNR cottons, and averaged about 5% less for the UNR cotton. About 200 more pounds of material were removed from the UNR cottons in order to produce a 500-lb. bale. Yarn manufacturing waste were higher for the UNR cotton at the textile mill but yarn quality was about equal that of conventional cotton.