Cotton Incorporated
Agricultural Engineering Research
Several cross-discipline technologies are evaluated from an engineering systems-based approach, including: precision crop management; conservation tillage systems; irrigation management; harvest equipment; and ginning improvements. We are determining methods to optimize variable rate application of plant growth regulators, insecticides, irrigation, nematicides and harvest aids so that inputs are reduced without reducing yield and in some cases, increasing it. Other efforts have been focused on determining what conservation tillage practices are best suited to different regions of the cotton belt – earlier findings have shown adoption of “pure” no-till will not work for everyone. Projects to improve ginning efficiency and protect lint quality include demonstration of a new microwave bale moisture sensor, and development of best operating practices to minimize seed coat fragment generation.
Ginning Research at Cotton Incorporated
Preserving lint and seed quality during the ginning process is a priority to the producer and the U.S. cotton industry.
Precision Crop Management for Cotton
Precision Crop Management (PCM) provides the crop what it needs, when it needs it, where it needs it.
Ultra Narrow Row Cotton Harvest to Textiles
This meeting was organized by USDA, Cotton Incorporated, and the National Cotton Council in response to the intense interest in ultra-narrow row cotton.
El Niño Southern Oscillation and Cotton Yield Variability
Prepared for Cotton Incorporated by Dr. Clyde W. Fraisse, University of Florida