Agriculture and Agribusiness

Cotton Production and Ginning

Cotton is sold on fibre properties a grower cannot see, so a crop that looks excellent in the field can be discounted for staple length, micronaire or trash that were determined by decisions made months apart. This course connects the two ends. Delegates work through variety selection against season length and fibre requirement, planting and plant population. Nutrition and water management follow, with their effect on boll retention. Pest management is addressed in detail, since cotton carries a heavy pest load and resistance is a live problem. Growth regulation and defoliation are covered ahead of harvest. Picking is addressed, including contamination, which is the fault African cotton is most often marked down for. Seed cotton storage and moisture follow. Ginning is covered: seed cotton cleaning, the gin stand, lint cleaning and the trade off between trash removal and fibre damage. Fibre testing and classing are addressed. The course closes on baling, on lint marketing and on what the grower is actually paid for.