How Wet Weather Affects Cotton Harvesting

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.

How to Reduce Your Cotton Harvesting Losses

Every farmer understands that a certain percentage of crop yield is going to be lost for one reason or another. Perhaps there was damage to a section of land that caused crops to be lost? Maybe there was stunted or tainted growth that rendered some crops unsuitable for sale? Or, worst of all, perhaps a harvesting issue caused the crop to be unusable? While all of these are certainly a possibility, having to realize the losses that can come from harvesting issues is perhaps the most frustrating for farmers, simply because it can be avoided.

It’s estimated that about ten percent of a cotton harvesting crop is lost for one reason or another, with losses as high as 20 percent even tolerated based on overall crop conditions. But for a cotton farmer, these losses can add up quickly, forcing many farmers to take a step back and look at their crop in a different light. What could you be doing better? What circumstances need to be examined more closely to prevent climbing crop losses? Is there something you could be doing differently?

Generally, many farmers will overlook their equipment when it comes to asking questions, simply because it’s an accepted standard that the average functioning cotton picker can maintain about 95 percent efficiency overall, thus mitigating some of the loss responsibility. But, it’s when pickers start to fall short of their efficiency standards that some attention needs to be paid to the various cotton picker parts to ensure that there are no shortcomings that could potentially be avoided on the part of the farmer when it comes to crop yield optimization.

It may be surprising for many farmers to learn that losses attributed to cotton picking equipment and machinery can be cut to below five percent with the right maintenance and repairs, thus mitigating overall crop loss within circumstances that are controllable. But, it takes a diligent, knowledgeable farmer to recognize when certain cotton picker parts are failing or dropping below their accepted standards of efficiency.

Take a look at some of the simplest ways to ensure an optimally functioning cotton picker and some of the chief concerns that you should have about your machinery if it isn’t yielding the results that you’re used to:

While it’s acceptable for a small percentage of your cotton crop to be lost for one reason or another, what’s unacceptable is for your losses to come about as a result of machinery that isn’t performing to its highest level of efficiency and effectiveness. Make sure your cotton picker is primed and ready for the job ahead and see your loss minimized.

A Few Offseason Maintenance Tips for Your Cotton Picker Spindle

While it might look big, bulky and ready to take all of the wear and tear you can throw at it, the fact of the matter is that your cotton picker spindle can actually be a delicate piece of machinery, depending on what capacity you’re talking about it in. For example, it might be able to stand up to acre after acre of cotton harvesting during peak season, but on the other hand, even the slightest issue with any number of its vital components could result in a machine that’s virtually useless, or worse, does more harm than good.

To this end, it’s important that during the offseason, your cotton picker spindle is maintained to the highest standards of quality and that everything necessary is done to preserve the function and integrity of this part before we put it back into use again in the near future. Take a look at some of the most important factors to consider during this year’s offseason when it comes to cotton picker spindle repairs and maintenance:

Keep in mind that your cotton picker spindle will require even more care and attention than what’s listed above—these are just a few quick tips that will put you on the right track to thorough and encompassing maintenance and care. And, should you need assistance finding replacement parts or essential components, know that Certi-Pik, USA is here to help you!