Field-To-Bale Distribution Study

Darryl Earnest


 
ABSTRACT

A study was conducted in Fall, 1992, by the USDA, Agricultural Marketing service, Cotton Division, with two primary objectives in mind. They were to define the extent to which cotton is blended during the harvesting and ginning processes and to determine if this blending reflects how evenly cotton is distributed within bales represented in a given module or trailer. Observations were made at various fields and gins participating in the study at locations within four major cotton growing regions of the United States. All facets of the harvesting process were observed and analyzed with emphasis on methods and variables directly affecting the movement of cotton from the field to the finished bale.

Various degrees of blending were observed throughout all stages of the harvesting and ginning processes. Many variables affected the blending in various ways depending on field and gin characteristics, equipment utilized, and operation methods and techniques. The degree of blending determined how well a bale represented the specific area from which it was harvested as well as how it represented the module or railer from which it was taken.



Reprinted from 1993 Proceedings Beltwide Cotton Conferences pp. 1087 - 1090
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998