How to Harvest Long Staple Cotton

Cracked cotton bolls signal harvest time is near.

Long staple cotton has fibers ranging in length from one and a half to two inches long. Its three major varieties are Pima, Sea Island and Egyptian. Pima originates in the southwestern US; Sea Island, from the land masses off the southeastern US coast; and Egyptian, from the Nile River Valley. Scientifically known as Gossypium Barbadense, long staple cotton is not only a source of fabric, but also for oil and seed meal used in livestock feed. Among textiles, it is found commonly in high-quality and luxury items. Since it grows in warmer climates, it can be planted and harvested earlier than other varieties.

Instructions

1. Survey your crop for the appearance of bolls -- the fruit of the cotton plant -- by the splitting of their carpal casings. This generally occurs 20 weeks from planting. Inspect plants at random for how many nodes -- or branches -- appear above the cracked boll closest to the stem. Five or more is optimal for harvest. Proceed to defoliation only if 60 to 70 percent of your bolls have appeared.

2. Apply chemical defoliant to your crops. This can be done manually, by tractor attachment or, for the largest farms, by airplane. This procedure causes the leaves to fall from the plant, making harvest easier on mechanical pickers. Disburse ten gallons per acre with ground applicators and five gallons per acre by air.

3. Remove the cotton lint from the plants with a spindle picker. Maintain uniformity and efficiency of harvest by keeping sufficient tire pressure and setting the row unit tilt properly. This involves keeping the front spindles rolling an inch above the soil and the rear spindles only slightly higher. The spindles are tines that actually pull the cotton from the plant.

4. Insert gathered cotton lint into the module builder. This box-like machine compresses the lint into modules -- storage units -- that consist of 10 to 15 bales of cotton, ridding it of excess moisture. Set the control panel so that the tamper -- the flat, moving component -- impacts the cotton at full force from a height of one and a half feet. Store the compacted cotton modules in a clean, level and dry location.

Tips & Warnings

• Timing is central when harvesting any form of cotton. The longer a farmer waits after cracked bolls appear, the more vulnerable the bolls are to pests and the elements. At the same time, a large portion of the bolls must mature for a yield to be profitable.

• Pack extra cotton at the ends of the module builder. This extra density reduces the risk of cotton fraying at the edges.

• Follow the spindle picker's operating instructions and safety guidelines carefully. These are hazardous machines when not worked properly. Do likewise for the module builder.

References

• Cudddledown; Product FAQ; Which Is Better, Long Staple Cotton or Egyptian Cotton?
• USA National Phenology Network; Gossypium Barbadense
• UN Food and Agriculture Organization; EcoCrop; Gossypium Barbadense
• National Cotton Council of America; Education; FAQ
• Alaca Company's CottonJourney.com; The Story of Cotton; The Plant
• Penton Media, Inc.; Southeast Farm Press; Harvest Time Tricky with Cotton, Peanuts; Paul L. Hollis; 11/2000

Resources

• National Cotton Council of America
• "Alabama Farm News"; From the Field; Cotton Defoliation
• Mississippi State U. Ext. Service; Cotton Discussion in Mississippi; Defoliation General Discussion
• Cotton Incorporated; Engineering; Cotton Harvest System; The Spindle-Type Cotton Harvester
• Texas A&M University; Soil and Crop Sciences Dept.; Texas Is Cotton Country
• National Cotton Council of America; Just Build It: Seed-Cotton Storage and Handling in Modules