ARS | Publication request: Effect on Cotton Bale Microbial Activity and Fiber Quality by Adding Excess Moisture at the Gin Lint Slide

Submitted to: Journal Of Cotton Science
Publication Acceptance Date: December 2, 2003
Publication Date: August 1, 2004
Citation: Chun, D.T., Anthony, W.S. Effect On Cotton Bale Microbial Activity And Fiber Quality By Adding Excess Moisture At The Gin Lint Slide. Journal Of Cotton Science. 2004. V 8(2):83-90.

Interpretive Summary: WATER IS SOMETIMES ADDED TO RECENTLY GINNED COTTON BEFORE BALING TO REDUCE BALE-PACKAGING FORCES AND TO POSSIBLY PROVIDE BENEFICIAL MOISTURE EFFECTS ON FIBER QUALITY AND PROCESSING AT THE MILL, BUT MORE RECENTLY, EXCESS WATER HAS BEEN ADDED JUST TO INCREASE BALE WEIGHT. WE STUDIED THE EFFECTS ON FIBER QUALITY AND MICROBIAL ACTIVITY WHEN EXCESS MOISTURE WAS ADDED TO COTTON, WHICH HAD THEN BEEN STORED FOR FOUR MONTHS. WE FOUND THAT THE NEPS AND SHORT FIBER CONTENT APPEARED TO INCREASE WITH INCREASED LEVELS OF MOISTURE. FIBER BECAME DARKER AND MORE YELLOW, AND COLOR GRADE WENT FROM 31 TO 43 AS MOISTURE INCREASED. THE CHANGE IN COLOR GRADE OCCURS AFTER OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATION; AND IT MAY OR MAY NOT OCCUR BEFORE MILL COMSUMPTION DEPENDING UPON THE STORAGE TIME. HOWEVER, ADDING WATER DID INFLATE THE BALE WEIGHT, BUT THE ADDED WEIGHT BENEFIT MIGHT EVENTUALLY BE OFFSET BY PENALITIES OR A LOWER CLASSIFICATION IF THE BALE WERE RE-CLASSIFIED. MICROBIAL ACTIVITY WAS INFLUENCED BY MOISTURE CONTENT WHICH WAS NOT UNIFORMLY DISPERSED THROUGH THE BALE AND THIS SPOTTY BEHAVIOR MAY ADD TO DIFFICULTIES DURING LAY DOWN AT THE MILL SINCE MICROBIAL ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER FIBER QUALITIES. THE FUNGAL MASS ON THE WATER TREATED BALES MAY ADD AN UNNECESSARY POTENTIAL HEALTH RISK TO THE WORKER. FURTHER STUDIES USING LESS MOISTURE AND OTHER BALE WRAPS SHOULD BE DONE.

Technical Abstract: THE EFFECTS ON COTTON BALE MICROBIAL ACTIVITY AND FIBER QUALITY BY THE PRACTICE OF ADDING WATER TO GINNED COTTON TO REDUCE BALE-PACKAGING FORCES, TO POSSIBLY PROVIDE THE BENEFICIAL MOISTURE EFFECTS ON FIBER QUALITY AND PROCESSING AT THE MILL AND TO INCREASES BALE WEIGHT, WERE STUDIED UNDER CONDITIONS WHERE EXCESS MOISTURE WAS ADDED TO DETERMINE IF ANY DEGRADATION WOULD OCCUR WITHIN FOUR MONTHS OF STORAGE. WATER AT THE RATE OF 0, 5.9, 9.1, 21.8, AND 25.0 KG PER BALE WAS ADDED AT THE GIN LINT SLIDE AS AN OVER-SPRAY BEFORE PRESSING INTO BALES AND STORING FOR 116 DAYS AFTER WHICH SAMPLES WERE REMOVED FOR FIBER QUALITY AND MICROBIAL ACTIVITY TESTING. FIBER LENGTH, IMMATURE FIBER, AND DUST PARTICLES WERE REDUCED BY THE ADDITION OF MOISTURE; BUT NEPS AND SHORT FIBER CONTENT APPEARED TO INCREASE WITH INCREASED LEVELS OF MOISTURE. COLOR WENT FROM MIDDLING (31) TO STRICT LOW MIDDLING SPOTTED (43) AS MOISTURE CONTENT INCREASED. FIBER BECAME DARKER AND MORE YELLOW WITH THE HIGHER MOISTURES. MICROBIAL ACTIVITY WAS INFLUENCED BY MOISTURE CONTENT; ESPECIALLY TROUBLING WAS THE LARGE INCREASE IN MOLD ACTIVITY, WHICH MAY BE CONSIDERED AN UNNECESSARY HEALTH RISK. MICROBIAL ACTIVITY WAS NOT UNIFORMLY DISPERSED THROUGH THE TREATED BALES AND THIS SPOTTY BEHAVIOR MAY ADD TO DIFFICULTIES DURING LAY DOWN AT THE MILLS.