Spindle Speed Optimization for Pickers

Spindle picking has become the preferred method of harvesting most cotton in the U.S.  Improvements to the cotton harvester have primarily focused on increased speed in order to reduce the cost of harvesting and reducing head weight.  As the spindle speed has increased, cotton fibers can wrap more tightly around the spindle.  As spindle diameter decreases, cotton fibers will wrap around the spindle more and will also become tighter on the spindle.  As spindle length decreases, cotton plants must be further compressed as they pass through the picking zone.  These changes have resulted in a general decrease in cotton fiber quality, particularly regarding spindle twists, preparation, and neps.  Data from this study confirms that the amount of trash, spindle twists and neps increases as the spindle speed is increased from 2000 to 3000 rpm.