Ginning U.S. Cotton for Domestic and Export Markets

The U.S. cotton crop is produced by a highly mechanized production system that seeks to minimize manual labor while maximizing fiber quality.  It is estimated that a bale of U.S. cotton is produced using approximately three man hours of labor while foreign producers may utilize several hundred man hours per bale.  However, in comparison to growths that utilize hand picking and significant manual labor for processing, U.S. mechanization has resulted in some ginned fiber quality problems such as neps and short fiber.  A significant proportion of current ginning research is aimed at addressing these fiber quality issues and improving the quality of U.S. cotton fiber.  This paper looks at the impact that various current ginning practices have on the quality of U.S. cottons.