The cotton industry has played a major part in the history of the United States. This crop has influenced the economy, war, migration and more. As cotton harvesting and cotton harvester parts changed over the decades, cotton helped shape the nation.
Are you familiar with this history? Following is a brief overview of the development of cotton harvester parts and how these inventions affected the industry as a whole.
The Challenge
In the early 1900s, the U.S. was producing more than 16 million bales of raw cotton each year. These were processed and used to create products such as clothing. The challenge with this high level of production was the difficulty in harvesting the plant.
Removing the cotton from the mature boll (the protective case) is a difficult task. Before modern machinery was invented, cotton was picked by hand. Because the plants matured at different rates, this hand-picking had to occur several times each harvest season.
Pickers did not have cotton harvester parts and the combines of today. They simply walked through the fields, removing the mature cotton fibers by hand and placing them in large sacks which they dragged behind them. This was difficult work, as the bags could weigh up to 100 pounds when full, and the sharp spikes on the plants left their fingers bloody and sore.
The Attempts
To improve on this labor-intensive process, harvesters started working on cotton harvester parts to introduce to the industry. Early efforts included a variety of solutions. Between 1850 and 1950, over 1,800 patents were issued for cotton harvesting parts. None were successful until International Harvester’s Model H-10-H in 1942.
Before this model was introduced, inventors tried pneumatic mechanisms to vacuum up the cotton. Other inventions included adaptations of grain threshing machines. Still others tried to use static electricity to collect the cotton. Using mechanical fingers to pluck the cotton seemed like a promising idea, but it too failed. None of these solutions harvested enough of the cotton to be worthwhile, and most damaged the crops, making further harvesting impossible.
The Success
The successful prototype was a spindle-style mechanism. A series of moistened spindles turned at high speed and, when encountering an open boll, the fibers wrapped around the spindles. A doffer (roller) then removed the fibers for transport to a hopper.
Around the time that these cotton harvester parts were introduced, the industry saw three other critical advances. Cotton breeders developed hybrid plants that produced bolls higher off the ground and that ripened uniformly. This made harvesting by combine easier and more efficient. Additionally, herbicides were introduced that could cause the plants to drop their leaves, so the harvest would be cleaner. This combination of new techniques dramatically improved cotton production and changed the industry forever.
Learn More
Would you like to discover more about cotton harvesting and cotton harvester parts? The professionals at Certi-Pik, USA are your go-to source. We fabricate replacement parts for picking units and offer a broad list of specialty items and sheet metal parts for rebuilding units. Contact us today!
Across the globe, cotton is one of the most common and widely-used crops. From apparel and artwork to medical supplies, cotton is all around us, but a lot of people don’t know how this crop goes from being planted in the ground to being distributed in consumer products around the world. Understanding a little bit more about cotton growth, harvesting and processing can give you a greater appreciation for this essential crop:
Cotton planting: The first step in the cotton production process is cotton planting. Cotton seeds are typically planted in April, when soil is warm enough for germination. Cotton is grown in several states in the U.S., including Texas, Arkansas, California, Florida, Mississippi and Missouri. While the cotton grows, cotton farmers take measures to minimize pests and weeds in their fields. The cotton harvesting season typically starts in July and can run through November, depending on the specific region and the weather conditions.
Cotton harvesting: When the cotton is ready to be harvested, a cotton farmer will use a cotton harvester or cotton picker to remove the cotton bolls from the cotton plant. Modern cotton harvesters can harvest hundreds of pounds of cotton in a matter of minutes. Some cotton harvesters are even equipped with GPS tracking that’s designed to locate the areas with the highest yield to optimize the harvesting process.
Cotton bundling: Harvested cotton is collected in a basket or receptacle on the cotton harvester, and then it’s dumped into a module builder. In some cases, this module builder may be built into the cotton harvester. It compacts cotton into modules weighing approximately 20,000 pounds. These modules are built and covered with a protective plastic wrap that’s designed to protect the cotton fibers from the elements until the cotton is ready to be processed.
Cotton ginning: Bundles of cotton are then sent to the cotton gin, which separates the lint from the seed. During this part of the process, leaves and debris are also removed from cotton fibers. Cotton fiber is cleaned thoroughly to remove dirt, bacteria and other contaminants from the field. Finally, the cotton is condensed into 500-pound bales for transport.
Cotton processing: After the cotton has been baled, it’s loaded onto trucks and distributed to textile mills and other manufacturing facilities. Cotton can be processed for use in a wide variety of different products. It is very versatile and can be dyed and woven to create millions of different types of products with a single type of fiber.
Find parts for your cotton picker
At Certi-Pik, USA, we know how essential it is to have cotton pickers and harvesters that you can depend on when it comes time to harvest your crops. With that in mind, we are proud to offer an extensive selection of cotton picker parts that are designed to deliver the greatest durability, performance, efficiency and longevity possible. You can find out more about everything that we have in stock or request custom part fabrication services by giving our experienced team a call today.
Cotton is one of the most important crops in the world, and it’s essential that farmers are able to harvest this crop efficiently and effectively. Unfortunately, cotton harvesting in extreme weather conditions like heavy rain is much easier said than done. Rainfall can have a major impact on cotton harvesting and make it difficult for cotton farmers to take advantage of their full crop yield. Read on to find out more about the specific ways on why you can’t harvest in the rain and how it affects the harvesting process.
Rainy Conditions and Cotton Harvesting
In recent years, weather patterns have been shifting around the globe, and there has been an increase in precipitation in key cotton-growing states like Texas. Rain soaks cotton and makes it difficult to harvest properly. As rains get heavier and more frequent, this problem is arising for a lot of cotton farmers in Texas and across the country. In addition to the heavy rains that are soaking cotton plants, there are also fewer sunny days, which means that it takes longer for the cotton to dry out. Even when it does, the wet cotton that’s harvested after these heavy rains tends to have a lower color grade, which causes the crop to lose a lot of its value.
Many farmers struggle to find the right time to harvest cotton during rainy spells. If they harvest too soon, they risk the issues associated with wet cotton picking. If they wait too long, the crops may no longer be viable. With all of the difficulties associated with cotton growth and harvesting in wet weather conditions, cotton production has gone down. What’s more, the lower color grade of some of the cotton that’s produced during these rainier years leads to lower cotton prices, which can seriously disadvantage cotton farmers who rely on loans to finance their cotton production.
On top of the wet weather that a lot of cotton farmers are experiencing in the summer and fall, many farmers are dealing with drought conditions in the earlier parts of the year, which has also taken a toll on overall cotton production. Still, despite all of these issues, there is a lot of hope among farmers that the heavy precipitation will improve soil quality and, as a result, boost their cotton yield in the coming growing and harvesting seasons. The key to success for farmers who are growing and harvesting cotton in adverse weather conditions is to adopt effective techniques and use the right equipment.
Get Parts for Cotton Picking and Harvesting
To ensure that your cotton picking equipment continues operating effectively in a wide variety of harsh weather conditions, it’s essential to ensure that you have the highest quality parts and components possible. When you order your parts from Certi-Pik, USA, you can feel confident that you are receiving the best parts available for your harvesting equipment and machinery. We are proud to offer an extensive selection of pre-fabricated parts, as well as specialty components and part fabrication services. Regardless of what specific components you need, we are here to assist you. Give us a call today to place your first order.
Cotton pickers rejoice—cotton picking season is almost upon us! It’s time to do some hard work and reap the rewards. We wish everyone a safe and bountiful cotton picking season, and we know that having properly maintained, effective equipment is a major factor in a successful cotton harvest.
Keeping your cotton harvester and cotton harvester parts in good shape doesn’t have to be very difficult. In fact, once you get used to the different safety precautions and maintenance procedures, they will soon become second nature.
With that in mind, here is an overview of how you can keep your cotton harvester in good condition, and avoid needing emergency cotton harvester replacement parts this cotton picking season.
Keep it safe
Above all else, you need to make the safety of yourself and your crew a priority this picking season, and at all times. That means avoiding dry, windy picking conditions, and avoiding other common hazards, such as scrap metal, rocks and bricks blocking your path, trash and lint accumulation on your equipment and inexperienced or careless machine operators.
Fires are a major concern for any cotton picker, and for good reason: they can wipe out your entire crop, not to mention put you and your crew and loved ones in danger. Take some time to really study fire safety before this picking season begins, and consult an expert if necessary.
Maintenance and cleaning
Another major factor in having a successful cotton picking season is ensuring that your cotton picker is properly cleaned and maintained.
You can find a lot of cotton picker maintenance and cleaning tips in the other posts on this blog. Whether you use high water pressure, low water pressure or high air pressure to clean your cotton picker, make sure you follow proper safety protocol. And remember: having a well-maintained cotton picker means you have a good chance of making it through picking season without needing any emergency repairs or part replacements.
Moisture considerations
Whether you are a seasoned cotton farmer or this is your very first cotton season, knowing exactly when to begin picking can be tough. This decision depends largely on moisture conditions—if it’s too dry outside, then a fire can easily start, but too much moisture can damage your product and result in a lot of lint buildup on your machine.
Here’s a good general rule of thumb: assess the moisture content of your cotton each morning before picking, so you can closely track where it’s at.
Here to help
Now that you know the basics of how to keep your cotton harvester and cotton harvester parts in good shape during picking season, you are set up to have a bountiful and relatively stress-free season! That said, unexpected things can come up, and we are here for you when that does occur.
If you find yourself in need of maintenance or new Case IH cotton harvester parts this cotton picking season, please feel free to get in touch with Certi-Pik, USA. With years of experience and a helpful, highly knowledgeable staff, we can help get your picking season back on track in no time.
Are you new to cotton picking? Or could you use a refresher on how to properly clean your cotton picker and cotton picker parts? If so, you have come to the right place!
Here at Certi-Pik, USA, we have decades of experience in producing high-quality cotton picker parts, and servicing and repairing them as well. We’ve seen time and time again how not properly cleaning and taking care of your cotton picker can cause some serious problems, which is why we decided to put together some basic tips on how to safely and effectively clean your cotton picker and cotton picker spindle.
With that in mind, here are five things to consider when cleaning your cotton picker:
Low-pressure water washing: Low-pressure water washing is ideal for washing debris from the front row units of your cotton picker. It is very effective, but it will require a good amount of time, especially if you have a large, multi-row picker. It also makes the ground around the cotton picker very wet, so be careful not to slip and fall when using this cleaning method.
High-pressure water washing: Want to remove the trash and grease in your row units, but don’t have time to wait around for a low-pressure water washing? If so, then high-pressure water washing is your best bet. The higher force of the water pressure is great for pushing off extreme buildup, and is particularly helpful for cleaning out the inside of row-unit cabinets.
High-pressure air cleaning: If you need to remove trash and lint buildup from a cotton picker or cotton picker spindle, then high-pressure air cleaning may be your best bet. Keep in mind that the volume of your high-pressure air cleaner will affect how powerful it is, and you will want to do some research to figure out the safest and most effective level to put your cleaner on.
Precautions: Cleaning a cotton picker can be dangerous work—but as long as you take the proper precautions, you should stay safe. Be sure to wear safety equipment, including gloves, boots, eyewear, long pants, a long-sleeve shirt and heat protection gear. Never point your high-pressure air cleaner at the radiators, hydraulic oil burners or other combustible components.
More tips: There is a lot more we could cover here—remember, if you have questions, ask a professional! That being said, here are a few more general tips to keep in mind about cleaning your cotton picker: raise the handrails when cleaning the tops of bale chambers or picker baskets; hold both handrails and face the ladder when climbing up or down; and remember to use the safety locks on all bale chambers and baskets before cleaning your cotton picker. If you follow these simple tips, you should be in good shape!
Now you know the basics when it comes to cleaning cotton pickers and cotton picker parts! We hope this has been helpful, but if you still have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the helpful team at Certi-Pik, USA.
