ABSTRACT

Acres of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) planted in Kansas have outpaced the purchase or availability of custom machinery for timely harvest of the crop. The normally open Kansas falls have led cooperators to believe that the yield and quality losses associated delayed harvest do not place the purchase of their own harvest machinery at a high priority. A study was conducted in 2001 and 2002 near Hutchinson, Kansas to quantify the effects of delayed harvest on cotton lint yields and fiber qualities. Lint yield losses did not occur between the first three date(s) of harvest (DOH) of 2001, but 18% yield losses were recorded between DOH 3 and DOH 4. Weathering did not significantly reduce lint yields after DOH 4. No differences in ginouts were recorded as harvest was delayed. Reflectance (Rd) increased and yellowness (+b) decreased as harvest was de-layed, but no other fiber qualities were influenced by field exposure. The 2002 growing season was very favorable for dry-land cotton production and resulted in excellent yields and high quality fiber. No yield reductions were noted between DOH 1 and DOH 2. A snowfall event prior to DOH 3 contributed to a 33% reduction in lint, but measurable losses did not occur in subsequent harvests. The highest percentage of lint was produced in DOH 1 plots. Ginouts from DOH 2 through DOH 5 were significantly lower than those from DOH 1, but no lint percentage reductions between the later harvests were recorded. Micronaire decreased significantly between the first two harvests in 2002, but no other lint quality determining factors were influenced. Cotton fiber losses increased significantly once, when harvest was delayed past optimum timing. Weathering ef-fects on crop value were influenced only by lint losses in the field.