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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #188829
Title: GINNING A COTTON WITH A FRAGILE SEED COAT

Author
item Armijo, Carlos
item Hughs, Sidney
item GILLUM, MARVIS - RETIRED USDA-ARS
item BARNES, EDWARD - COTTON INC.

Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2005
Publication Date: 4/10/2006
Citation: Armijo, C.B., Hughs, S.E., Gillum, M.N., Barnes, E.M. 2006. Ginning a cotton with a fragile seed coat. Journal of Cotton Science. 10:46-52.

Interpretive Summary: An experimental high-yielding high-quality cotton variety was developed that has potential to be commercialized. However, the variety’s seed coat is fragile and breaks easily. Seed coat fragments that remain in the lint after the ginning process cause problems during the spinning process and ultimately affect the quality of finished goods. An experiment was conducted to determine if seed coat fragments can be alleviated with either an experimental saw gin stand or an entirely different ginning method (roller ginning). The experimental saw gin stand did not impact any fiber properties. Roller ginning was favorable to many fiber properties; however, seed coat fragments (nep count) was not one of them. The results indicate that further ginning research is needed to alleviate seed coat nep counts in ginned fiber. Commercializing a high-yielding high-quality cotton variety can provide the producer with a profitable and desirable fiber.

Technical Abstract: An experiment was conducted to determine the interactions of saw and roller ginning with a variety that is known to have fragile seed coats. Three ginning treatments were investigated: 1) standard saw gin stand, 2) experimental saw gin stand with auxiliary rib guides, and 3) standard roller gin stand. The treatments were applied to two varieties, a commercial upland used as a control, and the experimental upland that contained fragile seed coats. As expected, many fiber properties were favorable to the roller gin stand including: color grade, length, uniformity, nep count, short fiber content, and turnout. The experimental saw gin stand with attached rib guides did not impact any fiber properties when compared to the unmodified saw gin. The experimental cotton variety with fragile seed coats had many fiber quality parameters superior to the control variety: cottonseed grade, short fiber content, immature fiber content, nep count, micronaire, strength, uniformity, and turnout. However, seed coat nep count in the experimental cotton was about three times higher than the control cotton.