Your cotton picker is the central part of your harvest season—without it, you wouldn’t be able to collect every acre of your cotton crop, meaning you may lose a lot of money. You need your cotton picker to be in perfect condition, which means that each part on your picker should be in good shape, too. Failing parts typically means failing machinery and a failing farming business.
Routine inspection and maintenance on your cotton picker parts are crucial for the longevity of your machinery. You may be tempted to skip inspection as long as the picker seems to be functioning properly, but this is a big mistake. Failing to check your equipment regularly typically results in an unknown broken part that could cause major damage and safety hazards if left untreated.
The importance of inspecting your cotton picker parts
Cotton pickers are large pieces of machinery that come with a host of safety hazards for both the operator and your crops. Because of the sheer amount of use cotton pickers see in a given season, parts begin to break down and may need replacement sooner than expected. If you aren’t regularly checking your cotton picker parts, you may not know something is about to break. Checking your parts is part of preventative maintenance to catch problems before they happen. If you see that a belt or pivot is worn down, you can replace it before you incur costly downtime from a broken machine.
Leaving broken parts on a cotton picker can also cause further damage to your machine over time. Belts, pivots and other parts that aren’t functioning properly can rub, scrape or smash other parts of your machine. If you check your parts routinely and find something broken, you have the opportunity to get it replaced before more parts get broken or worn down.
What to check and when
There are certain aspects of your cotton picker that should be checked each morning and night, before and after use. The engine, in particular, should be routinely checked to ensure that all coolant, engine oil and transmission oil are full and ready for use that day. Similarly, the tires and tire pressure should be checked approximately every 12 hours to avoid a problem while in the field.
Most axles and pivots should be routinely checked and lubricated between every 50 and 100 hours to ensure that they will continue to run smoothly. The feed belt and wrap floor belt tensions should also be checked. Refer to the user’s manual for your specific cotton picker model to view the recommended cleaning and maintenance schedule for your cotton picker parts.
Rely on the best if your cotton picker parts fail
If you check your machine and find that you need replacement cotton picker parts, contact Certi-Pik, USA. We manufacture and supply quality parts to keep your cotton picker running smoothly. We offer parts for a wide range of models, including specialty items, at competitive prices. Contact us to see what we can do to help your business!
In recent years, skip row farming of cotton crops has become more and more popular with cotton farmers across the country. Farmers have found that skip row planting may result in lower input costs for seed and technology with approximately even cotton yields over the years.
In order to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of your skip row cotton farming techniques, you need to ensure that your cotton harvester parts are in great condition to keep your machinery up and running. If you’ve never heard of or considered skip row farming for your harvesting business, do not worry; the professionals at Certi-Pik, USA have created this short guide to help you better understand the technique, its benefits and the necessity of quality cotton harvester parts for the technique’s smooth operations.
What is skip row planting?
In most cotton fields, cotton seed is planted in thick rows of 38 to 40 inches in width. These rows are often placed right next to each other, creating a solid field of cotton crops. The technique known as skip row planting involves planting rows of cotton that are thinner—typically 30 inches in width and skipping a row after every two rows. This is known as a 2:1 skip row formation.
Because the technique requires skipping rows, farmers should plant their cotton seed closer together in the rows to achieve similar yields each year. Special care should also be taken to keep skipped rows as free of weeds as possible while the cotton crops are growing.
Benefits of skip row planting
Although the benefits of skip row planting have been under some slight debate, some farmers have claimed that the technique helps them decrease input costs for seed and machinery. Depending on the type of equipment farmers have, they also may be able to cut down on the time required to plant seed.
Skip row farming has also been known to produce larger and more fruitful cotton crops because the crops have more room to grow with a skip row next to them. The technique is said to increase light penetration before canopy closure, as well, due to the additional spacing.
Why quality cotton harvester parts are important
Using machinery that is equipped with reliable cotton harvester parts is an important part of all cotton farming practices, but quality parts are even more important in skip row farming. Farmers who are interested in converting their machines from standard to skip row picking need to use quality parts to make those transitions.
Additionally, using quality harvester parts will further aid farmers in reducing input and harvesting costs, due to the lower amount of downtime and replacement necessary.
Choose us for top-quality cotton harvester parts
Do you use the skip row farming technique for your cotton harvest? Contact Certi-Pik, USA for your supply of quality cotton harvester parts. We manufacture and supply quality parts to keep your cotton picker running smoothly. We offer parts for a wide range of models, including specialty items at competitive prices. Contact us to see what we can do to help your business!
When it comes time to harvest your crop, you want to ensure that all of your hard work during the growing season will pay off with a high yield. Even if you grow a high volume of cotton, some of your crop can be lost due to various reasons. While you might lose portions of your crop after you harvest, it is also common that you will lose some during the harvesting process itself, or that your machine won’t harvest as much as it could.
Thankfully, these issues can be mitigated by ensuring that your machine is in proper working order and that you have effective cotton picker parts. In some cases, it can be well worth the investment to get new parts that will work better and reduce harvesting losses. You can increase your yield and maximize your efficiency during the harvest by following steps that will minimize harvest loss.
Keeping your machinery in good condition
One way that you can reduce harvest loss is by properly adjusting and calibrating each part of your cotton harvester. You should make sure that your harvester is adjusted so that it will fully harvest each row with the highest efficiency. Make sure that your spindle rows are even and level. Tilts in your rows can cause a whole host of problems, including uneven machine wear, machine break down and reduced harvest yields. You must also make sure that your machine is operating at the correct speed and rotation pace for the crop that you are harvesting. It is also important to check and make sure that your spindle and spindle bushings are kept sharp so that they can effectively pick the crop.
In some cases, you might notice that your spindle is wearing down, rusting or deteriorating in some way. When you observe these types of issues, you are best served by finding replacement cotton picker parts. Even if you maintain your machine well, over time you will notice that there are more non-rotating spindles and that your cotton picker isn’t as effective at harvesting your crop as it once was. New parts can make a huge difference in crop yield. While it might cost you some money up front, it can make you money in the long run by increasing the volume that you are able to harvest from your fields.
Minimizing harvest losses can make a big difference in your bottom line, and investing in new cotton picker parts can greatly reduce the amount of harvest that you would be losing or missing out on otherwise.
Replacement cotton picker parts
At Certi-Pik, USA, we understand how important it is for farmers to be able to minimize their harvest losses, which is why we are committed to manufacturing replacement parts for cotton harvesters that are high quality and dependable. We fabricate replacement parts for all sorts of machinery, and we can help create the parts that fit your equipment perfectly. Whether you just need a couple replacement parts or you are trying to rebuild your equipment altogether, we can help you. To get started with quality replacement cotton picker parts, contact us today!
You rely on your cotton harvester to bring you the greatest yield possible at the end of the season. The amount of cotton that you are able to pick from your field will determine how much product you will have to sell and can impact whether you will have the ability to invest in a bigger crop next season.
So much is dependent on the proper functioning and the efficiency of your cotton picker, which is why everything you do to care for and maintain your machine is critical. Even during the months when you aren’t using your cotton picker, it is imperative that you take time to properly maintain your cotton picker spindle so that it is in good shape the next time you need it. By following a few simple maintenance tips during and after the harvest season, you can keep your machine operating properly to maximize your yield and your harvester’s efficiency.
Maintaining your cotton picker parts
One important aspect of cotton picker maintenance is setting the height and tilt of your row units. You should set your row height and tilt precisely to ensure that it is not uneven or unbalanced. This will help facilitate maximum efficiency during picking operation. Improper tilting or rows that are off balance can create complications and compromise your machine’s yield.
It is important to keep up on maintenance of the spindles and spindle bushings of your machine so that they are ready for harvest. Keep your spindle and spindle bushings sharp so that they are as effective as possible. Through heavy use and normal wear and tear, your spindle can become dull. In general, the bottom half of the spindle wears down more rapidly than the top half, but you should inspect the entire spindle regularly to check on how it is wearing and whether it is sharp enough. In some cases, rust can accumulate on your spindle, so that should also be checked for. During your inspection, remove and replace spindles that are dead or aren’t rotating, as these can slow your entire system down.
The offseason is the best time to take care of any repairs and replacements of your system; you don’t want to wait until you need your harvester to have it fixed. If you notice any parts that are broken, deteriorating or need replacement for any reason, you should get them replaced right away. Find replacement parts that are of high quality from a manufacturer with a reputation for making reliable parts. This will help ensure that your picker remains in good shape for years to come.
Keep your cotton picker parts up to date
If you are looking for high-quality replacement parts for your cotton harvester, contact Certi-Pik, USA. We are a trusted manufacturer of superior parts for cotton pickers and harvesters. We can fabricate parts specifically designed for your piece of equipment, including specialty and custom items. Contact us today and learn more about the services that we offer and how we can help you maximize the efficiency of your cotton picker.
Got bugs? Few things are worse than putting time and effort into planting and maintaining your cotton crops, only to have them be overrun and ruined by pests. There are numerous cotton crop pests, each bringing their own type of damage to your crop. In order to save your cotton crops, you need to eradicate the insects and prevent them from returning next season.
Pests not only damage your crops, but also put useless wear and tear on your machine and cotton harvester parts, resulting in a damaged crop. Here are our top 10 tips to help you rid your cotton crops of pests:
Crop monitoring: In order to maintain proper pest management, you should make sure to monitor and scout the field routinely. This will help you gather the most reliable information on the type of pests, the damage levels and pest population density, so that you can make the most informed decisions on pest management in the future.
Cotton-free periods: It’s recommended that you only plant cotton crops one time during the year. Double cropping might allow pest populations to carry over and grow, since they will have access to a continuous food supply.
Crop rotation: Similarly, crop rotation should be utilized after a cotton crop is harvested. Planting less favorable crops between cotton crops can help reduce the appearance of many typical cotton pests.
Selection of resistant varieties: Choosing to plant a pest-resistant or tolerant variety of cotton will help your crop tolerate a pest attack. Certain varieties are highly resistant to specific pests, so look into what kind of pests you experience most often to choose the best one.
Trap cropping: Trap cropping involves planting a small section of a preferred, or pest-attracting, crop near to the cotton crop as a trap. Once the pest is attracted to the crop and you identify signs of damage, the pest can be destroyed.
Proper crop spacing: Plant your cotton crops with enough space between them. Dense crops and close spacing can allow the faster multiplication and spread of pests.
Deep plowing: Plowing your fields deeply after harvesting can help to expose hibernating larvae and eggs of pests.
Crop residue destruction: After a harvest, effectively remove and destroy all residue of the cotton crop. Doing this will ensure that there is no carryover of the pest into the next cotton crop season.
Hand-picking and destroying: Hand-picking caterpillars and other adult larvae can help eliminate the potential development of insecticide resistance, as well as reduce a large future population of pests.
Pesticides: Pesticides or insecticides may be used to remove a given type of pest from your cotton crops. However, pesticides may cause pesticide-resistant pests and are not as sustainable as other approaches. Also consider botanical pesticides.
In order to properly remove and prevent pests from damaging your cotton crops this year, make sure to closely monitor your crops and use the tips provided. With proper care comes great crops!
Certi-Pik, USA is your one-stop shop for all your cotton harvester parts needs! For over 25 years, we’ve delivered quality cotton harvester parts to U.S. and international customers. Call us today!
