Round Modules: Handling Logistics and Cover Damage, 2nd Year

Round cotton modules covered with engineered plastic film are increasingly popular because they largely automate the cotton harvest. Cotton growers still face challenges in managing information about each module, which is required to produce good quality fiber during ginning. To address these challenges, a single-board computer-based system was developed and installed on a loader used to handle modules to store the data encoded in the RFID tag and capture module images automatically during handling. The system consisted of a GNSS module, an RFID module, a moisture probe, a temperature probe, and three cameras, controlled by a Raspberry Pi4. Using the system, the module’s GPS location, moisture content, temperature, and images from different views were associated with the unique RFID tag number for each module. From the captured images it was possible to detect the nature, amount, and source of the plastic film damage occurred during the handling process. Further, it is possible to reduce the transportation cost, time, and labor by conducting a path planning study using the GPS positioning data, recorded by the system. Using the module data collected by the developed system, improved handling and ginning processes can be developed to produce contamination-free high-quality cotton and uphold the reputation of US cotton in the international market.