Cultivar Differences in Gin Stand Energy Utilization

Abstract

This study included 38 early and 27 medium maturing cultivars planted in Stoneville, Mississippi (2002 and 2003) and Tribbett, Mississippi (2003). About 50% of the cultivars tested in 2002 were repeated in 2003. Variation in gin stand energy consumption was measured as an indicator of differences in fiber-seed bond strength. After subtracting idling energy, the gin stand consumed an average of 20.2 Wh/kg lint with a range of 16.4 to 24.3 Wh/kg lint across cultivars in all tests. Changes in ginning energy were found to correlate with changes in seed linters content, ginning rate, seed percent, and turnout, but ginning energy did not appear to be dependent on these factors. The gin stand energy requirements were lower for cultivars with large seed and low seed linters content. Ginning energy did not change with fiber length, but it increased with short fiber content as more fibers were broken in multiple places. Cultivars that used less energy during ginning tended to have higher HVI fiber strength, so reduced fiber-seed bond strength was not the result of reduced fiber strength. Ginning energy increased with the number of neps, number of seed coat neps, and weight of seed coat fragments, and it decreased with seed cotton cleaner efficiency. This indicated that energy was used to remove tangled fibers and trash. Some properties were found to be closely related to ginning energy, but ginning energy was thought to be independent of these properties. Evidence suggested that cultivar differences in energy consumption at the gin stand were closely related to differences in the fiber-seed bond strength.