Chapter 10: Cotton harvesting and ginning in the 21st century

Authors: Hughs, Sidney; PARNELL, CALVIN - Texas A&M University; WAKELYN, PHILLIP - National Cotton Council

Submitted to: International Cotton Advisory Committee Recorder
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/10/2010
Publication Date: 12/20/2010
Citation: Hughs, S.E., Parnell, C.B., Wakelyn, P.J. 2010. Chapter 10: Cotton harvesting and ginning in the 21st century. In: Wakelyn, P.J., Chaudhry, M.R., editors. Cotton: Technology for the 21st Century. International Cotton Advisory Committee. p. 227-250.

Interpretive Summary: This book chapter briefly reviews the history of cotton harvest preparation, harvesting, and ginning in the U. S. up until the beginning of the 21st century. The review particularly focuses on the mechanization of the U. S. cotton industry and its defining characteristics in the latter portion of the 20th and going into the 21st century. The authors then draw parallels between the fully mechanized U. S. cotton industry and many other parts of the world, where cotton is produced, that are generally mechanized to a lesser extent. These parallels are then finally used to predict possible future trends in cotton harvesting and ginning around the world during the early part of the 21st century.

Technical Abstract: This book chapter briefly reviews the history of cotton harvest preparation, harvesting, and ginning in the U. S. up until the beginning of the 21st century. The review particularly focuses on the mechanization of the U. S. cotton industry and its defining characteristics in the latter portion of the 20th and going into the 21st century. The authors then draw parallels between the fully mechanized U. S. cotton industry and many other parts of the world, where cotton is produced, that are generally mechanized to a lesser extent. These parallels are then finally used to predict possible future trends in cotton harvesting and ginning around the world during the early part of the 21st century.