Ginning Efficiency and Fiber Quality Properties of Cotton as Affected by Roller Gin Stand Feeding Methods and Seed Cotton Grade

Aims: Attaining the highest ginning efficiency process and fiber quality properties of Egyptian cotton cultivar ̔ Giza 88᾿during feeding methods of roller gin stand is the ultimate objective of the community of cotton field industry for local uses, but the productivity of the three feeding methods of conventional roller gin stand used in ginning process still limited.

Therefore, the aim of this investigation is to overcome this obstacle.

Study Design: This investigation was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replicates and analyzed as a factorial experiment.

Place and Duration of Study: Plant Production Department, the Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University, Egypt during 2017.

Methods: Four seed cotton grades; namely, Good to Fully Good (G/FG), Good + ¼ (G + ¼), Good (G) and Good -¼ (G - ¼) belonging to ̔ Giza 88᾿ cotton cultivar were used in this work. The extra-long staple Egyptian cotton variety with the pedigree and origin of cotton Giza 88 (Giza 77 x Giza 45 B) was used. This work was carried out in 2017. About half cantar (1 cantar = 157.5 kg) of each seed cotton grade as a bulk sample was thoroughly mixed and checked and reclassified by a committee of three expert classers belong to the Cotton Arbitration for Testing General Organization (CATGO), in the gin plan.

Results: The obtained results indicated that the gin stand's hand feeding method (control treatment); results in significant increases the highest mean values of the gin stand capacity (0.97 kg lint/inch/h), Lint % (36.59%) and lint grade code (27.33) and the lowest mean value of the ginning time (1.42 h/cantar). Meanwhile, the Belt (2 row) as a mechanical feeding method; gave rise to the lowest mean value of gin stand capacity (0.89 kg lint/inch/h). The differences in fiber length parameters (Upper half mean length and short fiber index), fiber elongation %, micronaire reading, yellowness degree (+b) were not significantly affected. The highest seed cotton grade (Good / Fully Good) gave the better lint cotton grade and the best fiber properties tested by HVI instrument of ̔ Giza 88᾿ cotton cultivar.

Conclusion: The hand feeding method of seed cotton to the gin stand surpassed all studied feeding methods in gin stand productivity, lint percentage and the most HVI fiber properties are better classer grade. Though, this method is recommended to be used specially with the high levels of the extra-long cottons.

Cylinder feeding method ranked first in order among studied mechanical method and it could be recommended for ginning medium and low seed cotton level.

Belt (2 rows) is the preferred feeding method regardless of gin stand productivity.