Cotton Incorporated
Cotton Incorporated

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  • About
    • Corporate
      • Worldwide Offices
      • Board of Directors
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      • Research Proposal Guidelines
    • History
      • Company Timeline
      • Cotton Hall of Fame
    • Sustainability
      • Sustainability Goals
      • Pioneers of Progress
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      • Video Archive
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      • Did You Know?
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  • Market Data
    • Monthly Economic Letter
      • Cotton Price Definitions
    • Executive Cotton Update
    • Supply Chain Insights
    • Supply Chain Video Insights
    • Cotton Market Podcasts
      • Chinese Cotton Policy Podcasts
      • Pass-Through Series Podcasts
      • Educational Series Podcasts
  • Cotton Production
    • Ag Resources
      • Cotton Crop Market News
        • Cotton Market Weekly
        • Cotton Marketing Planner Newsletter
      • Cotton Farming Decision Aids
        • 2014 Farm Bill – Farm Program and Insurance Decision Aid
        • 2015 Pima Cotton Loan Valuation Model
        • 2017 ELS Cotton Loan Calculator
        • 2017 Upland Cotton Loan Calculator
        • Cotton Basis Tools
        • Cotton Harvest Cost Comparison Program/Decision Aid
        • Cotton Irrigation Decision Aid
        • Cotton Module Transport Calculator
        • Cotton Precision Agriculture Investment Decision Aid
        • Cropland Rental Tool (CROPRENT)
        • Precision Agriculture Yield Variability Analyzer
        • South Plains Profitability
        • The Agricultural & Food Policy Center
      • Spotlight on Cotton Growers
        • Alternative and Low-Cost Sources of Lime and Fertilizer
        • Satellite Imagery Technology to Manage Variable Soil
        • Year-Round Expert Advice to Cotton Growers
        • Precision Input Cost Reduction
        • Innovative Water Sharing System
        • No-Till, Double-Cropping System Yields Costs Savings
        • Manage Heat with Innovation for Cotton Production
        • Soil Variability Lessons Learned
        • Using Gray Water in Cotton Production
      • Websites & Online Resources
        • Cotton Cultivated
        • Focus on Cotton
        • Regional Breeders Testing Network
        • Seed Matrix
        • COTMAN™ Crop Management System
      • Cotton Harvest Systems
        • Cotton Harvest System Videos
        • Seed Cotton Handling Storage
          • A Brief History of Cotton Modules
          • Case IH Half-Length Modules
          • Forming Covering Conventional Modules
          • John Deere Round Modules
          • Module Covers
          • Module Types
          • Proper Cutting of Plastic Wrap on Round Modules
          • References
          • Safety
          • What Is at Risk When Seed Cotton Is Stored
        • Stripper Harvesting
          • Background of Cotton Harvesting
          • Fiber Quality
          • In-Season Procedures
          • Preharvest Preparation
          • References
          • Safety Is Your Responsibility!
          • Stripper Harvester Preparation
        • The Spindle-Type Cotton Harvester
          • Appendix: Harvest Loss Calculations
          • Basic Safety Precautions
          • In-Season Procedures
          • Maximizing Harvester Capacity & Productivity
          • Preseason Procedures
          • Seed Cotton Handling Systems
          • Suggested Reading on Cotton Pickers
          • Introduction
      • Irrigation Management
        • Cotton Water Requirements
        • Initiating and Terminating Irrigation for the Season
        • Irrigation Scheduling Tools
        • Irrigation Systems Overview
        • Management Considerations for Irrigated Cotton
        • References and Additional Resources
        • Sensor-Based Scheduling
        • Water-Sensitivity of Cotton Growth Stages
        • Why Irrigate Cotton?
        • Why Schedule Irrigation?
    • Ag Research
      • Agricultural Economics
        • Farm Finance
        • Cotton Futures and Options
        • Crop Insurance
      • Agronomy
        • SeedMatrix.com
        • Rolling High Rye for Conservation of Tillage Cotton Success
      • Cottonseed
        • Cottonseed Market Prices
        • wholecottonseed.com
        • Whole Cottonseed a Super Feed for Dairy Cows
        • Cottonseed Press Releases
        • Cottonseed Storage
        • Cottonseed Goes With the Flow
        • EasiFlo™ Cottonseed Research
      • Engineering
        • ENSO and Cotton Yield Variability
        • Ginning Research
        • Precision Crop Management for Cotton
          • Other Precision Agriculture for Cotton Websites
          • Precision Cotton Technology Providers
        • Ultra Narrow Row Cotton Harvest to Textiles
          • Fiber and Textile Quality
          • Finger Stripper Harvesting Technology
          • Ginning Stripper Harvested Cotton
          • Marketing Stripper Harvested
          • UNRC Research and Production Experiences
      • Entomology
        • Caterpillar
        • Cotton Aphid
        • Plant Bugs
        • Spider Mites
        • Stink Bugs
        • Thrips
        • Whitefly
          • Management of White Fly Resistance to Key Insecticides in Arizona
          • Technical Advisory Committee of the Whitefly Q Biotype Task Force
      • Herbicide Stewardship
        • Herbicide-resistant Weeds Training Lessons
          • Current Status of Herbicide Resistance in Weeds
          • How Herbicides Work
          • Principles of Managing Herbicide Resistance
          • Scouting After a Herbicide Application and Confirming Herbicide Resistance
          • What Is Herbicide Resistance?
        • Take Action Against Herbicide-Resistant Weeds
      • Nematology
        • 2003 Breeding Cotton Nematode Resistance Meeting Presentations
        • 2005 Breeding Cotton for Resistance to Nematodes Meeting Presentations
        • 2007 Genetics of Root Knot Nematode Resistance in Cotton Meeting Presentations
        • 2012 Breeding Cotton for Resistance to Fusarium and Nematodes Meeting Presentations
      • Plant Pathology
        • Research Coordination Meeting on Target Spot Presentations
        • Review of the Bacterial Blight Research Program
      • Variety Improvement
        • Breeder Fiber Sample Information
          • Fiber Sample Packaging and Labeling
          • Packing Enclosure Form
          • Why Bad Samples are Bad
        • Cotton Breeders’ Tour Archives
        • Sample Project Summaries
        • State Variety Trial Data
      • Weed Management
        • Managing Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Amaranth
          • Introduction and Overview
          • List of Attendees
          • Palmer Roundtable Summary
          • Research Presentations
            • Colorado Molecular and Basic Research
            • Segregation and what it means in Palmer amaranth
          • Research Programs from Industry
            • Bayer CropScience
            • Monsanto
            • Syngenta
          • Update from States
            • Arkansas
            • Georgia
            • Louisiana
            • Mississippi
            • North Carolina
            • South Carolina
            • Summary Discussion
            • Tennessee
      • Meetings, Tours, and Presentations
        • 2019 Cotton Breeder’s Tour
        • Cotton Breeders’ Tours Presentations
        • Conservation Tillage Conferences
          • 2007 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2008 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2009 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2010 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2011 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2012 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2013 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2014 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2015 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
        • Cotton Biotechnology Workshops
        • Crop Management Seminar Presentations
          • 2006 Presentations
          • 2008 Presentations
          • 2010 Presentations
          • 2012 Presentations
          • 2014 Presentations
        • International Cotton Genome Initiative (ICGI) Research Conference Presentations
      • Ag Research Staff Directory
      • Cotton Incorporated Fellows
        • Cotton Incorporated Fellowships (CIF)
      • State Support Program
        • State Support Program Bylaws
          • Alabama State Support Committee Bylaws
          • California State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Florida State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Georgia State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Louisiana State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Mississippi State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Missouri State Support Committee Bylaws
          • North Carolina State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Oklahoma State Support Committee Bylaws
          • South Carolina State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Tennessee State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Virginia State Cotton Support Committee Bylaws
        • State Support Program Guidelines
        • State Support Program Projects
    • Cotton Quality
      • Classification of Cotton
        • Acknowledgements
        • Classification of American Pima Cotton
        • Classification of Upland Cotton
        • Dissemination of Data
        • Maintaining Official Standards for Classification
        • Overview
        • Quality and Reliability of Classification Data
      • 2019/2020 U.S. Cotton Fiber Chart
        • Bale Sizes
        • Grades of U.S. Cotton
        • HVI® Color Chart
        • Properties of the Growing Regions
        • Ratings of Fiber Properties
      • Cotton Crop Quality
        • Weekly Cotton Crop Quality Report
        • Most Planted Cotton Varieties for 2019
        • Final Cotton Crop Quality Summary Reports
        • Cotton Properties Legend
        • Cotton Crop Quality Summary
      • Product Evaluation Lab
        • Independent Testing Laboratories
      • Cotton Standards Websites
      • EFS® System Software
        • MILLNet™ Software
        • USCROP™ Software
        • Cotton Communicator™ Software
      • EFS® System Technical Service
      • EFS® System Licensees
      • EFS® Licensee Yarn Benefits
      • EFS® Fiber/Yarn Sourcing Directory
  • Quality Products
    • Performance Technologies
      • NATURAL STRETCH Technology
        • NATURAL STRETCH Technology
        • NATURAL STRETCH Licensed Suppliers
      • PUREPRESS™ Technology
      • STORM COTTON™ Technology
        • STORM COTTON™ Technology
        • STORM COTTON™ Licensed Suppliers
      • TOUGH COTTON™ Technology
        • TOUGH COTTON™ Technology
        • TOUGH COTTON™ Licensed Suppliers
      • TransDRY® Technology
        • TransDRY® Technology
        • TransDRY® Licensed Suppliers
      • WICKING WINDOWS™ Technology
        • WICKING WINDOWS™ Technology
        • WICKING WINDOWS™ Supplier List
      • Technology Suppliers
    • Nonwovens
      • Why Cotton?
      • Marketing Resources
        • Aquatic Degradation
        • The Global Baby Care Market Present and Future Growth
        • Discover What Cotton Can DoTM
        • Incontinence Protection
        • Global Feminine Hygiene
        • Power of the Seal
        • Responsible Cotton Production
        • Trademark Licensing Program
      • Cotton Fiber Tech Guide
        • Agricultural Production
        • Cotton Morphology and Chemistry
        • Cotton Preparation
        • Cotton Properties
      • Nonwovens Sourcing
    • Textile Resources
      • Technical Bulletins
      • Standard Fabric Defect Glossary
      • Textile Encyclopedia
      • Fabric Defects Classification
      • Textile Glossary
      • Engineered Cotton Knits Guidelines
      • Cotton Fiber Development and Processing
    • Fabric Inspiration
      • FABRICAST™ Fabric Collections
        • 2018 Part 1
        • Cotton Compilation I
        • Cotton Compilation II
        • Creative Cotton I
        • Creative Cotton II
        • MMXVII Part 1
        • Cotton Innovations II
        • Cotton Innovations I
        • Natural Concepts II
        • Natural Concepts I
        • Cotton Inspiration II
        • Cotton Inspiration I
        • Natural Innovations
      • Performance Knitwear
      • Cotton Durability
    • Textile Sourcing
      • Cut and Sew
      • Dyers
      • Dye and Wash
      • Finishers
      • Knitters
      • Printers
      • Spinners
      • Weavers
      • Textile Associations and Resources
    • Textile Research
      • Dyeing Research
      • Fiber Processing
      • Finishing Research
      • Product Development
      • Product Integrity
      • Technical Services & Implementation
  • Consumer Marketing
    • Retail Partnerships
    • Classroom Teaching Kits
  • About
    • Corporate
      • Worldwide Offices
      • Board of Directors
      • Careers
        • Career Opportunities
        • Student Opportunities
          • Fashion Marketing Internship Program
      • Research Proposal Guidelines
    • History
      • Company Timeline
      • Cotton Hall of Fame
    • Sustainability
      • Sustainability Goals
      • Pioneers of Progress
        • Agriculture
        • Cottonseed
        • Manufacturing
        • Consumer
        • Sustainability Community
        • Citations
    • Pressroom
      • Press Releases
      • Biographies
        • J. Berrye Worsham
        • Mark Messura
        • Kimberley S. Kitchings
        • Jesse Daystar
        • Kater Hake
        • Mike Shen
        • Vikki Martin
        • Mary Ankeny
        • William Kimbrell
        • Ed Barnes
        • Jon Devine
        • Linda DeFranco
        • Janet O’Regan
        • Melissa Bastos
        • Jenna Caccavo
        • Rachel Crumbley
      • Video Archive
      • Did You Know?
    • Event Calendar
    • Seal of Cotton trademark
      • Seal of Cotton trademark
    • Our Websites
      • CottonWorks™
      • Cotton Today
      • Cotton Lifestyle Monitor™
      • Cotton Cultivated
      • The Fabric of Our Lives®
      • Blue Jeans Go Green™
      • Cotton Campus
      • Whole Cottonseed
      • Regional Breeders Testing Network (RBTN)
    • Social Media
    • Cotton Industry Websites
      • Cotton LEADS™
    • Contact Us
  • Market Data
    • Monthly Economic Letter
      • Cotton Price Definitions
    • Executive Cotton Update
    • Supply Chain Insights
      • Seal of Cotton Trademark
      • Things To Know About COVID-19 Third Wave
      • Garment Care & Labels
      • Home Textiles Globally
      • Home Textiles in the U.S.
      • Home Textiles in Mexico
      • Home Textiles in China
      • COVID-19 & Consumer Concerns in Mexico – Second Wave
      • COVID-19 & Consumer Concerns in China – Second Wave
      • Things To Know About COVID-19 Wave II
      • COVID-19 & Consumer Concerns in China
      • COVID-19 & Consumer Concerns in Mexico
      • COVID-19 & Consumer Concerns in Italy
      • Consumer Response to COVID-19
      • Baby Care
      • Childrenswear
      • Back to School
      • Intimates
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor : India
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor : Turkey
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor: Germany
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor: Italy
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor: United Kingdom
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor: China
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor: Thailand
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor: Colombia
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor: Mexico
      • Global Lifestyle Monitor: Japan
      • Sustainability Concerned Consumers
      • Sustainable Clothing
      • When Does Sustainability Matter
      • Back To School Apparel
      • Fueling Consumption in Mexico’s Activewear Market
      • Home Textiles: Bath Towels
      • Home Textiles: Sheets & Bedding
      • The Now of Retail : Millennials
      • Securing the Hispanic Consumer
      • Childrenswear & Back To School Apparel
      • China’s Baby Care & Feminine Hygiene Market
      • Prospects for Tomorrow’s Underwear Market
      • Easing Apparel Sourcing Cost Pressures
    • Supply Chain Video Insights
    • Cotton Market Podcasts
      • Chinese Cotton Policy Podcasts
      • Pass-Through Series Podcasts
      • Educational Series Preview
      • Educational Series Podcasts
  • Cotton Production
    • Ag Resources
      • Cotton Crop Market News
        • Cotton Market Weekly
        • Cotton Marketing Planner Newsletter
        • Cottonseed Market Prices
      • Cotton Farming Decision Aids
        • 2020 Crop Loan Calculator
        • 2019 Crop Loan Calculator
        • 2018 Upland Cotton Loan Calculator
        • 2018 ELS Cotton Loan Calculator
        • 2017 Upland Cotton Loan Calculator
        • 2017 ELS Cotton Loan Calculator
        • 2014 Farm Bill – Farm Program and Insurance Decision Aid
        • The Agricultural & Food Policy Center
        • Cotton Basis Tools
        • Cotton Harvest Cost Comparison Program/Decision Aid
        • Cotton Irrigation Decision Aid
        • Cotton Module Transport Calculator
        • Cotton Precision Agriculture Investment Decision Aid
        • Cropland Rental Tool (CROPRENT)
        • Precision Agriculture Yield Variability Analyzer
        • South Plains Profitability
      • Spotlight on Cotton Growers
        • Soil Variability Lessons Learned
        • Alternative and Low-Cost Sources of Lime and Fertilizer
        • Year-Round Expert Advice to Cotton Growers
        • No-Till, Double-Cropping System Yields Costs Savings
        • Precision Input Cost Reduction
        • Using Gray Water in Cotton Production
        • Manage Heat with Innovation for Cotton Production
        • Innovative Water Sharing System
        • Satellite Imagery Technology to Manage Variable Soil
      • Websites & Online Resources
        • COTMAN™ Crop Management System
        • Seed Matrix
        • Cotton LEADS™
        • Focus on Cotton
      • Cotton Harvest Systems
        • The Spindle-Type Cotton Harvester
          • Introduction
          • Maximizing Harvester Capacity & Productivity
          • Seed Cotton Handling Systems
          • Basic Safety Precautions
          • Preseason Procedures
          • In-Season Procedures
          • Appendix: Harvest Loss Calculations
          • Suggested Reading on Cotton Pickers
        • Stripper Harvesting
          • Background of Cotton Harvesting
          • Preharvest Preparation
          • Stripper Harvester Preparation
          • In-Season Procedures
          • Fiber Quality
          • Safety Is Your Responsibility!
          • References
        • Seed Cotton Handling Storage
          • A Brief History of Cotton Modules
          • Module Types
          • What Is at Risk When Seed Cotton Is Stored
          • Forming Covering Conventional Modules
          • Case IH Half-Length Modules
          • John Deere Round Modules
          • Proper Cutting of Plastic Wrap on Round Modules
          • Module Covers
          • Safety
          • References
        • Cotton Harvest System Videos
        • Cotton Module Traceability
      • Irrigation Management
        • Why Irrigate Cotton?
        • Why Schedule Irrigation?
        • Initiating and Terminating Irrigation for the Season
        • Cotton Water Requirements
        • Water-Sensitivity of Cotton Growth Stages
        • Sensor-Based Scheduling
        • Irrigation Scheduling Tools
        • Management Considerations for Irrigated Cotton
        • Irrigation Systems Overview
        • References and Additional Resources
    • Ag Research
      • Agricultural Economics
        • Farm Finance
        • Cotton Futures and Options
        • Crop Insurance
      • Agronomy
        • SeedMatrix.com
        • Rolling High Rye for Conservation of Tillage Cotton Success
        • Nitrogen Requirements of Contemporary Cotton Cultivars
        • Cotton Variety Performance & Selection
        • Bronze Wilt Cotton
        • Managing Nitrogen Fertilization In Cotton
        • Sticky Cotton Sources Solutions – A Cooperative Extension
        • Utility of Plant Growth Regulation in Cotton Production
      • Cottonseed
        • Cottonseed Market Prices
          • Cottonseed Market Prices Archives
        • wholecottonseed.com
        • Whole Cottonseed a Super Feed for Dairy Cows
        • Cottonseed Press Releases
        • Cottonseed Storage
        • Cottonseed Goes With the Flow
        • EasiFlo™ Cottonseed Research
      • Engineering
        • Ginning Research
        • Precision Crop Management for Cotton
          • Precision Cotton Technology Providers
          • Other Precision Agriculture for Cotton Websites
          • Cotton Yield Maps: Tools for increasing efficiency & profitability
          • Cotton Yield Monitors – The Entrance Exam & Final Exam
          • Sensor-Based Application of Cotton Inputs – Approaches for plant growth regulators, harvest aids, and nitrogen
        • Ultra Narrow Row Cotton Harvest to Textiles
          • UNRC Research and Production Experiences
          • Ginning Stripper Harvested Cotton
          • Marketing Stripper Harvested
          • Fiber and Textile Quality
          • Finger Stripper Harvesting Technology
        • ENSO and Cotton Yield Variability
      • Entomology
        • Cotton Aphid
        • Caterpillar
        • Plant Bugs
        • Spider Mites
        • Stink Bugs
        • Thrips
        • Whitefly
          • Management of White Fly Resistance to Key Insecticides in Arizona
          • Technical Advisory Committee of the Whitefly Q Biotype Task Force
          • Sticky Cotton Sources and Solutions – The University of Arizona, Cooperative Extension
          • Whitefly Management in Arizona Cotton 2006 – The University of Arizona, Cooperative Extension
      • Herbicide Stewardship
        • Herbicide-resistant Weeds Training Lessons
          • Current Status of Herbicide Resistance in Weeds
          • How Herbicides Work
          • What Is Herbicide Resistance?
          • Scouting After a Herbicide Application and Confirming Herbicide Resistance
          • Principles of Managing Herbicide Resistance
        • Take Action Against Herbicide-Resistant Weeds
        • Weed Resistance in Herbicide-Resistant Cultivars R.L. Nichols
        • Preparing for the Auxin Technologies R.L. Nichols
        • Auxin Technologies Meeting Report R.L. Nichols
        • The Stewardship of Herbicides R.L. Nichols
      • Nematology
        • 2012 Breeding Cotton for Resistance to Fusarium and Nematodes Meeting Presentations
        • 2007 Genetics of Root Knot Nematode Resistance in Cotton Meeting Presentations
        • 2005 Breeding Cotton for Resistance to Nematodes Meeting Presentations
        • 2003 Breeding Cotton Nematode Resistance Meeting Presentations
        • Accomplishments of a 10-Year Initiative to Develop Host Plant Resistance to Root-Knot and Reniform Nematodes in Cotton 2003 – 2013
        • Managing Nematodes in Cotton-Based Cropping Systems (December 2012)
        • 2009 Status of Site-Specific Nematicide Treatment
        • 2005 Breeding Cotton for Resistance to Nematodes Meeting Report – June 9, 2005 Meeting in Memphis, Tennessee
        • 2003 Breeding Cotton for Resistance to Nematodes (Meeting Report)
        • 2006 Non-Transgenic Host Plant Resistance to Root-Knot and Reniform Nematodes in Cotton – R. L. Nichols, Cotton Incorporated
        • 2007 Report of the Research Coordination Meeting Genetics of Root-Knot Nematode Resistance in Cotton
      • Plant Pathology
        • Cotton Leafroll Dwarf Virus Research Review
        • Identification and Management of Fusarium Wilt Race 4
        • Exotic Polerovirus Infecting Cotton in the Southeast U. S.
        • Research Coordination Meeting on Target Spot Presentations
        • Review of the Bacterial Blight Research Program
        • Identification and Management of Bacterial Blight of Cotton
        • Diagnosis and Management of Foliar Diseases in the United States
        • Site-Specific Management of Cotton Root Rot Using Airborne and Satellite Imagery and Variable Rate Technology
        • Cotton Root Rot(Phymatotrichopsis Root Rot) and it’s Management
      • Variety Improvement
        • 2019 Cotton Breeder’s Tour
        • Cotton Breeders’ Tours Presentations
        • State Variety Trial Data
        • Breeder Fiber Sample Information
          • Fiber Sample Packaging and Labeling
          • Packing Enclosure Form
          • Why Bad Samples are Bad
        • Cotton Breeders’ Tour Archives
        • Sample Project Summaries
      • Weed Management
        • Managing Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Amaranth
          • Introduction and Overview
          • Update from States
            • Arkansas
            • Georgia
            • Louisiana
            • Mississippi
            • North Carolina
            • South Carolina
            • Tennessee
            • Summary Discussion
          • Research Presentations
            • Segregation and what it means in Palmer amaranth
            • Plant Population Genetics
            • Colorado Molecular and Basic Research
          • Research Programs from Industry
            • Syngenta
            • Bayer CropScience
            • Monsanto
          • Palmer Roundtable Summary
          • List of Attendees
        • 2016 Biology and Management of Herbicide-Resistant Palmer Amaranth in Cotton in the United States
        • 2011 Pigweed Resistance: How Much? To What? And Where?
        • 2010 Impacts of Herbicide Resistant Weeds – Southern States
        • 2010 Meeting the Challenge of Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Amaranth in Conservation Tillage
        • 2009 Glyphosate Weed Resistance Update
        • 2009 Control Failures with Ryegrass
        • 2008 Glyphosate-Resistant Populations of Amaranthus palmeri in the United States
        • 2006 Managing Herbicide Resistance in Cotton Cropping Systems
      • Meetings, Tours, and Presentations
        • International Cotton Genome Initiative (ICGI) Research Conference Presentations
        • Conservation Tillage Conferences
          • 2015 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2014 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2013 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2012 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2011 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2010 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2009 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2008 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
          • 2007 Conservation Tillage Conference Proceedings
        • Cotton Biotechnology Workshops
        • Crop Management Seminar Presentations
          • 2014 Crop Management Seminar Presentations
          • 2012 Crop Management Seminar Presentations
          • 2006 Crop Management Seminar Presentations
          • 2010 Crop Management Seminar Presentations
          • 2008 Crop Management Seminar Presentations
      • Ag Research Staff Directory
      • Cotton Incorporated Fellows
        • Cotton Incorporated Fellowships (CIF)
      • State Support Program
        • State Support Program Bylaws
          • Alabama State Support Committee Bylaws
          • California State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Florida State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Georgia State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Louisiana State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Mississippi State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Missouri State Support Committee Bylaws
          • North Carolina State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Oklahoma State Support Committee Bylaws
          • South Carolina State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Tennessee State Support Committee Bylaws
          • Virginia State Cotton Support Committee Bylaws
        • State Support Program Guidelines
        • State Support Program Projects
    • Cotton Quality
      • Classification of Cotton
        • Overview
        • Maintaining Official Standards for Classification
        • Classification of Upland Cotton
        • Classification of American Pima Cotton
        • Quality and Reliability of Classification Data
        • Dissemination of Data
        • Acknowledgements
      • 2019/2020 U.S. Cotton Fiber Chart
        • Properties of the Growing Regions
        • Grades of U.S. Cotton
        • Ratings of Fiber Properties
        • Bale Sizes
        • HVI® Color Chart
      • Cotton Crop Quality
        • Weekly Cotton Crop Quality Report
        • Most Planted Cotton Varieties for 2019
        • Final Cotton Crop Quality Summary Reports
        • Cotton Properties Legend
        • Cotton Crop Quality Summary
      • Product Evaluation Lab
        • Independent Testing Laboratories
      • Cotton Standards Websites
      • EFS® Software
        • MILLNet™ Software
          • MILLNet™ Software Video
        • USCROP™ Software
        • Cotton Communicator™ Software
      • EFS® System Technical Service
      • EFS® Licensee Yarn Benefits
      • EFS® System Licensees
      • EFS® Fiber/Yarn Sourcing Directory
  • Quality Products
    • Textile Research
      • Dyeing Research
      • Fiber Processing
      • Finishing Research
      • Product Development
      • Technical Services & Implementation
      • Product Integrity
    • Nonwovens
      • Why Cotton?
      • Marketing Resources
        • Aquatic Degradation
        • The Global Baby Care Market Present and Future Growth
        • Trademark Licensing Program
        • Power of the Seal
        • Incontinence Protection
        • Global Feminine Hygiene
        • Responsible Cotton Production
        • Discover What Cotton Can DoTM
      • Cotton Fiber Tech Guide
        • Agricultural Production
        • Cotton Properties
        • Cotton Preparation
        • Cotton Morphology and Chemistry
      • Nonwovens Sourcing
    • Performance Technologies
      • NATURAL STRETCH Technology
        • NATURAL STRETCH Technology
        • NATURAL STRETCH Licensed Suppliers
      • PUREPRESS™ Technology
        • PUREPRESS™ Technology
        • PUREPRESS™ Licensed Suppliers
      • STORM COTTON™ Technology
        • STORM COTTON™ Technology
        • STORM COTTON™ Licensed Suppliers
      • TOUGH COTTON™ Technology
        • TOUGH COTTON™ Technology
        • TOUGH COTTON™ Licensed Suppliers
      • TransDRY® Technology
        • TransDRY® Technology
        • TransDRY® Licensed Suppliers
      • WICKING WINDOWS™ Technology
        • WICKING WINDOWS™ Technology
        • WICKING WINDOWS™ Licensed Suppliers
      • Technology Suppliers
    • Fabric Inspiration
      • FABRICAST™ Fabric Collections
        • FABRICAST™ 2020 Collection
        • FABRICAST™ 2019
        • 2018 Part 2
        • 2018 Part 1
        • MMXVII Part 2
        • MMXVII Part 1
        • Creative Cotton II
        • Creative Cotton I
        • Cotton Compilation II
        • Cotton Compilation I
        • Cotton Innovations II
        • Cotton Innovations I
        • Natural Concepts II
        • Natural Concepts I
        • Cotton Inspiration II
        • Cotton Inspiration I
        • Natural Innovations
      • Performance Knitwear
      • Cotton Durability
    • Textile Resources
      • Technical Bulletins
      • Standard Fabric Defect Glossary
      • Textile Encyclopedia
      • Textile Glossary
      • Fabric Defects Classification
      • Engineered Cotton Knits Guidelines
      • Cotton Fiber Development and Processing
    • Textile Sourcing
      • Cut and Sew
      • Dyers
      • Dye and Wash
      • Finishers
      • Knitters
      • Printers
      • Spinners
      • Weavers
      • Textile Associations and Resources
  • Consumer Marketing
    • Retail Partnerships
      • Retail Partnerships Contact Form
    • Cotton Science & Sustainability Lesson Plans

Cottonseed Goes With the Flow

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Cottonseed Goes With the Flow

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Cottonseed Goes With the Flow

Cottonseed hands - Cottonseed Goes With the Flow

Cottonseed that handles like whole shelled corn? That’s how Tom Wedegaertner, director of cottonseed research and marketing for Cotton, Inc. tells it. A new process developed by the cotton grower checkoff organization encapsulates cottonseed in a light coat of cornstarch, pasting down the lint and improving the seed’s handling characteristics. The end product, dubbed EasiFlo, offers new opportunities for feed suppliers that have previously been unable to handle cottonseed.

Putting a Coat on Cottonseed

Cottonseed has a blend of crude protein (23%), fat (20%) and crude fiber (24%) that makes it a nearly ideal ingredient in dairy feed formulations. According to Wedegaertner’s research, a major reason it hasn’t been used more is because of difficulties in handling and storage. “One feed mill operator told me he had to put in $100,000 worth of modifications to his mill so he could handle fuzzy cottonseed,” he says. “Such operations would gladly pay a $20 to $30/ton premium to be able to get cottonseed that can go through their existing equipment.”

In 1993, Cotton, Inc. began research on a process to improve cottonseed’s flowability, working with a company experienced in coatings for candy and pharmaceuticals.

“The company developed a beautiful coating, but it cost $4 a pound,” says Wedegaertner. “We were putting 100 pounds on a ton of cottonseed, so the coating alone was worth about $400/ton. But it showed that the process was technologically feasible.” The organization then began investigating ways to make the process economically feasible. It took about three years of research testing various coating materials and equipment to reduce the cost to roughly $20/ton.

The EasiFlo process is “almost embarassingly simple,” says Wedegaertner. Feedgrade cornstarch is mixed with water and heated to near boiling. The gelatinized paste is “smeared” onto the seed using a simple mixer device. The seed then passes through a belt conveyor dryer to prevent water from penetrating the seed. The end result is a hard, durable crust that seals the lint.

Feed Mills See Benefits

cottonseed combine - Cottonseed Goes With the Flow

Handling is the “biggest positive” of the EasiFlo product, says Jim Hanson, director of ingredient supply and merchandising, Midwest Feed Group, Cenex/Land O’Lakes. Mills under Hanson’s jurisdiction were among those to receive the first truckloads generated by the pilot plant at the USDA Cotton Ginning Laboratory in Lubbock, TX. Hanson says response from feed mill managers was “obviously positive because it handled so much easier than whole fuzzy cottonseed.”

John Pagett, mill manager at Southern States’ Durham, SC, feed mill, had a similar reaction: “Before (EasiFlo), we couldn’t handle cottonseed at all. We could handle this product.” The coated seed was moved through the mill much like traditional grain, using existing equipment. Despite some problems with separation in mashed feeds, Pagett says, “From a milling standpoint, it’s an excellent product.”

EasiFlo can be transported in hopper-bottom trucks or railcars, conveyed using existing conveying systems and stored in overhead bins, says Wedegaertner. This helps put mills back “in control.”

“As dairies get bigger and bigger, it’s harder for mills to justify their existence,” he explains. While many smaller dairies in the Eastern United States still rely on mills for the protein concentrate they mix with home-grown forages, larger dairies tend to bypass the mill and buy direct from gins, or through brokers or traders. “The EasiFlo process brings another commodity back under the feed mill’s control, which will help in the long run.”

Some Unanswered Questions

While Jim Hanson is upbeat about EasiFlo’s benefits, he says there are still unanswered questions. “How does the product perform in humid conditions? Does encapsulation affect the product’s shelf life? It’s those kinds of questions we don’t have answers to yet.”

Such answers are forthcoming, says Wedegaertner. Studies at Penn State and the University of Wisconsin are testing the durability of the coating; potential shelf life of the seed; and reaction to humid conditions. “So far that research looks better than expected,” he states. “The coating seems to be very durable, and seems to have an adequate shelf life. It doesn’t take up moisture any differently than fuzzy cottonseed.” Final results of these studies are expected by the end of the year.

Research on the product’s nutritional properties also indicates no apparent nutritional differences between the coated and fuzzy seed. In fact, the studies showed a slight increase in dry matter intake and milk production in dairy cows consuming the EasiFlo. Follow-up studies will take a closer look at these areas.

easiflo cottonseed - Cottonseed Goes With the Flow

A harder question to answer concerns the cost of commercial production. “I don’t think there will be a problem with the product itself being accepted,” Hanson says. “The biggest challenge will be the cost of manufacturing the product, and the premium required in the marketplace to offset that cost.” While he foresees Cenex/Land O’Lakes mills using EasiFlo in the future, he says it will depend on the premium the marketplace demands.

“Obviously, in anything you do there are cost/benefit ratios that must be weighed.”

“As dairies get bigger and bigger, it’s harder for mills to justify their existence … The EasiFlo process brings another commodity back under the feed mill’s control, which will help in the long run.”

Tom Wedegaertner, Cotton Inc.

Cotton Inc. has signed its first commercial licensing agreement with Commonwealth Gin in Windsor, VA. While the product won’t be commercially available until March of 1998, Wedegaertner anticipates EasiFlo will sell at a $30 to $50/ton premium to fuzzy cottonseed.

Cottonseed gets around the block

The EasiFlo coating process is creating new product opportunities for cottonseed, including use in range blocks. “Any mill that makes protein blocks can use the coated product,” says Cotton Inc.’s Tom Wedegaertner. The cottonseed can be added to the mix and pass through standard block equipment.
The first several runs of EasiFlo produced were used to make both pressed and poured blocks up to 500 pounds. While the feed studies aren’t complete, initial results have been promising. “EasiFlo opens up another opportunity for mills to use cottonseed in products they hadn’t thought of before because they couldn’t physically get it into those products,” says Wedegaertner.

But the benefits will help offset those cost concerns, says Wedegaertner. EasiFlo’s increased bulk density (27 to 28 pounds of Easiflo fits into the same space as 22 to 23 pounds/cubic foot of untreated seed) and the ability to use hopper-bottom equipment should reduce shipping costs. Reduced equipment and labor at the mill should further offset the higher price per ton. Wedegaertner estimates the final premium delivered at a Midwest mill will be roughly $20 to $40/ton.

Long-Term Growth Potential

Less than 100,000 tons of EasiFlo will likely be produced in the first couple years, with a gradual increase to 500,000 tons over the next five years, Wedegaertner estimates. That equates to roughly 17% of the 3 million tons of cottonseed currently being fed. “Ultimately, 10 to 15 years down the road most of the cottonseed in the Southeast that goes into feed will be coated as the cost of the coating process goes down,” he says. “It just makes more sense.”

As demand for EasiFlo increases, cottonseed growers will likely see greater price stability. “We’re not going to see $80 cottonseed anymore,” Wedegaertner predicts.

He adds, “The whole reason we’re doing this is to increase cottonseed usage by getting it into places it couldn’t go before. Cotton growers will make a little more money. It’s going to be more of a high-end speciality product fed to high-producing dairy cows, which is really where it belongs.”

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