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Title: Hand-ginned cotton length distributions

Author
item Foulk, Jonn
item Bauer, Philip
item SENTER, HERMAN - CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/5/2009
Publication Date: 6/19/2009
Citation: Foulk, J.A., Bauer, P.J., Senter, H. 2009. Hand-ginned cotton length distributions. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. January 5-8, 2009, San Antonio, Texas. p.1170-1178.

Interpretive Summary: The Cotton Quality Research Station (CQRS) of the USDA-ARS has completed a study of the relationship of cotton fiber length distributions. The two year study utilized two commercial cotton varieties [DPL 555 (mid-full maturity) and PM 1218 (early maturity)]. These varieties were grown, harvested and hand-ginned in the South Atlantic region of the US. Cotton varieties were selected with similar HVI fiber quality. CQRS performed extensive AFIS measurements of the hand-ginned cotton properties. AFIS provides mean length, upper quartile length, fineness, and maturity for fibers tested. The goal was to evaluate the entire fiber length distribution so distributions were evaluated visually. The objective was to evaluate differences in the shape of histograms between cotton plant zones, cotton boll position, and cotton variety.

Technical Abstract: Instrumentation such as the Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS™) analyzes cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber length distributions because variations in fiber length distribution impacts spinning performance. AFIS provides mean length, upper quartile length, fineness, and maturity for fibers tested. However, the goal was to evaluate the entire fiber length distribution so distributions were evaluated visually. Slope angle and histograms base distance comparisons were used to evaluate AFIS fiber length distributions among two cultivars. Two commercial cultivars [DPL 555 (mid-full maturity) and PM 1218 (early maturity)] were grown in plots on a Goldsboro loamy sand in 2004 and 2005. Fiber properties were determined on first and second branch position bolls on reproductive branches in a 1-m section of row in each plot. Due to different weather patterns the results were separated into 2004 and 2005. The objective was to evaluate differences in the shape of histograms between cotton plant zones, cotton boll position, and cotton variety.