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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #144831
Title: MICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF STORED COTTON BALES THAT HAD BEEN BALED AT DIFFERENT MOISTURE LEVELS

Author
item Chun, David
item McAlister Iii, David
item COBB, DEAN - I.T.T.

Submitted to: 2003 Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2002
Publication Date: 1/10/2003
Citation: Proceedings 2003 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN, pp 1982-1985.

Interpretive Summary: IN THIS STUDY, THE COTTONS ATTEMPTED TO EQUILIBRATE WITH ITS STORAGE CONDITIONS TO REACH MOISTURES ABOUT 6% TO 7% DURING STORAGE. THE ADDED MOISTURE DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE CAUSED THE COTTONS TO SUFFER FROM MICROBIAL ACTIVITY THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE FAILURE TO OBSERVE SIGNIFICANT FIBER QUALITY DETERIORATION, OR INCREASED DUST POTENTIAL OR INCREASED VIABLE MICROBIAL POPULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCREASED MOISTURE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FIBER QUALITY DID NOT IMPROVE WITH INCREASED MOISTURE EITHER, TO SUGGEST THAT ADDED MOISTURE BEFORE BALING WOULD NOT REPLACE LAYDOWN CONDITIONING TO IMPROVE FIBER QUALITY AND PROCESSING AS PUT FORTH BY MCALISTER (1997). REDUCTION OF BALE PACKAGING FORCES AND INCREASED BALE WEIGHT APPEARS TO BE THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF THE LEVELS OF WATER TREATMENT USED; BUT THE LEVEL OF WATER TREATMENT WHICH WOULD PROVE THAT MOST ADVANTAGEOUS IS PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO THE LEVELS WHERE FIBER QUALITY DETERIORATION AND INCREASED MICROBIAL ACTIVITY (CHUN AND ANTHONY, 2002) MAY OFFSET THE SMALL PROFIT FROM ADDING ADDITIONAL WATER TO INCREASE BALE WEIGHT.

Technical Abstract: THE MICROBIAL EFFECTS AND THE EFFECTS ON FIBER QUALITY OF STORED COTTON BALES THAT HAD BEEN TREATED WITH MODERATE AMOUNTS OF EXCESS MOISTURE WERE EXAMINED. THE TARGET MOISTURE CONTENTS WERE 10%, 8%, 6% AND A NON-TREATED CONTROL BALE. THE ACTUAL INITIAL MOISTURE CONTENT WERE 9.5%, 8.0%, 5.4% AND 5.0%, RESPECTIVELY. WHEN THE BALES WERE OPENED FOR SAMPLING, THE CONTROL AND LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE TREATMENT BALES GAINED MOISTURE WHILE THE HIGH-LEVEL MOISTURE TREATED BALES LOST MOISTURE. THE BALE MOISTURE CONTENT TENDED TO EQUILIBRATE TO BETWEEN 6% AND 7% DURING STORAGE SO A LOWER WEIGHT BALE WOULD MOST LIKELY BE DELIVERED TO THE END USER WITH THE HIGHER MOISTURE TREATED BALES. NO PRACTICAL DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED FOR COTTON DUST POTENTIAL, OR FIBER QUALITY, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO COLOR GRADE, REFLECTANCE OR YELLOWNESS, RESULTED FROM THE DIFFERENT WATER TREATMENTS. DIFFERENCES IN MICROBIAL ACTIVITY INDICATED LOWER VIABLE POPULATIONS WITH INCREASING MOISTURE CONTENTS, BUT THIS WAS EXPECTED AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE, WHICH WAS BORNE OUT BY THE LACK OF DIFFERENCES IN FIBER QUALITY.