ABSTRACT

The Cotton Program has been investigating the possibility of measuring the moisture levels in the cotton fiber during the testing process over the past few years. An accurate moisture measurement is a key component in the development of a moisture correction for fiber qualities. This is a long-term goal of the Cotton Program and offers significant potential benefits, including more accurate measurements and cost savings related to Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC). Currently, the Cotton Program has two moisture measuring instruments under evaluation. The first moisture measurement evaluated was an electrical resistance meter that was manufactured by Uster Technologies Ag. The other instrument is the Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) moisture measurement device manufactured by the Aqua Measure Instrument Company. Data for this evaluation was obtained from cotton samples tested in the Memphis classing office during the 2003 crop year.