Cotton question Southwest trip

jm. · Oct 31, 2013

Made the trip thru south Texas , New Mexico,Arixzona and back thru central Texas. In the entire trip was in big cotton country but did not see ONE of the new pickers that put the cotton in rolls as hay. Progressive farmer had an article early last fall that stated the move would be gradual to that harvesting system because of COST but I saw new pickers that were still basket. I am thinking the farmers just like the module system. Anybody have any thoughts or experience. Photo attaché of lower Arizona cotton, folks in Mississippi think they grow cotton, they should just go west and take a look. Could stand in one place and see over a 100 modules.

rrlund · Oct 31, 2013

Stand on a tuna can you could probably see 200.

john in la · Oct 31, 2013

Considering the U.S. is the largest exporter of cotton in the world; and Mexico imports a lot of US cotton in kinda makes sense that Texas would be the largest producer of cotton in the states.

Falling prices; Pest; and the Mechanization of agriculture; got Mississippi out of cotton farming in the early 1900's. Lots and lots of cotton acres are now catfish farms and the availability of water in eastern Mississippi has a lot to do with that.

john *.?-!.* cub owner · Oct 31, 2013

The round bales will not take off to well till the haulers and processors are ready for them

John A. · Oct 31, 2013

jm The PF basically had it right consider the cost of a New style machine is upward of 700K and most farmers old system has served them well since the old Cotton Trailer System had been left behind 30 yrs ago. Their Module Makers & Bowl Buggies are paid for and there is little else needed for the immediate future I am not aware of any modifications the Local Gins would need to make to be ready to receive the newer package system. When the local Gins are ready to accept the newer bales then you will start seeing the newer system go on line more so than now! Also as the older machines wear out and are replaced the newer ones will show up more and more!
Hope this helps!
Later,
John A.

colekicker · Oct 31, 2013

This is a different kind of cotton in part of that area. You may have been seeing stripper cotton. The plants are shorter and they use a cotton stripper to harvest vs a cotton picket. Best explanation is that the stripper strips the bowl off and a picker picks the cotton out of the bowl. The ones that make the bale are pickers.

JWalker · Oct 31, 2013

I am located on the border belt between NC and SC. I travel a decent amount in this area for my public job. I am seeing a gradual switch to the round bailes of cotton. I have seen these hauled with the module crawler trucks and on flat beds with fork lifts on the back. I will try to do like Larry and carry my camera itch me one day and take a picture when I see one.

JWalker

jm. · Oct 31, 2013

John looks like the ones here in Tennessee (and there are several new ones) are being hauled on the same truck that moves the modules. Farmer just drops the round bale and they back up and load it the same way. Was just though it strand that here in an area where cotton is not king that there are several new round pickers and in the 4 thousand mile trip I did not see another one in the field.

jm. · Oct 31, 2013

Know the difference I think and this was drum to basket pickers. Some appear to be new units. I thought all states out lawed second year cotton but I think I saw some that may have been from last year.

dcarp · Oct 31, 2013

I've seen a couple of fields in SE TX with the round cotton bales. Bet as time goes on there will be more of them.

cumminspuller · Nov 1, 2013

JM, the same trucks haul the rolls from the field but the chains in the bed have to be changed out. The chains for picking up modules have spikes for somewhat grabbing the cotton. These cannot be used on the rolls because the spikes would punchure the wrap. The chains that are in the trucks that haul rolls have small pieces of flat metal in place of the spikes. I'll try to get some pictures later today and post of the different chains.

kito169 · Nov 1, 2013

I saw some back in August sitting at the gin in Leroy, Tx. It looked funny to see the rolls and modules side by side. A couple of weeks later I was in Gila Bend, Az and saw a picker that rolls them. The ones in Leroy were the first that I had seen.

Cotton question Southwest trip

jm.

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rrlund

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john in la

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john .?-!. cub owner

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John A.

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colekicker

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JWalker

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jm.

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jm.

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dcarp

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cumminspuller

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