Cotton continues to be one of the most important crops grown in the United States, especially in the southeast, where massive cotton operations produce enormous harvests every single year. Still, cotton farmers are always looking for new ways they can boost their crop yield. Many times, it’s just a few basic things that can help these farmers achieve greater efficiency and profitability out of their crops.
With this in mind, here are a few cotton growing tips that can help you achieve productive results with high quality cotton picker parts this season and beyond at your cotton farm.
Begin cleaning and weeding early on
Weed management is important in the cotton growing industry. It’s especially important to get rid of pigweed, as it can wreak havoc on a cotton crop.
You should aim to have a completely clean field upon planting the crop, and after that you should follow a meticulously laid out herbicide schedule, and use post-emergence products as needed. Pigweed tends to emerge within 18 to 21 days after you plant the cotton, so the first three weeks of the crop’s life are especially important for weed management so you can maintain better control over the weeds in the area. It also allows you to reduce the amount of money you spend in the long run on labor and herbicide.
Manage your irrigation
Tweaking your irrigation plans can help you get the best results out of your overall crop yields and your resulting profits. Many studies have shown that using higher volumes of water during the later growth periods of the crop can help provide greater yields.
Choose the correct cotton varieties
Any cotton varieties you grow should fit well with your operation. Beyond just the yield you’re trying to get, you should consider the conditions of your field, including soil texture and type, pest and weed pressure and whether the land is dry or irrigated. You should also have several variety tests performed. You might even consider planting several varieties one year to analyze which produces the best results at your farm.
Make bug control a priority
It’s never a good idea to skimp on bug control. An insect infestation could prove devastating to your operation, both in terms of crop loss and the financial hit. Therefore, to save money and prevent potential losses, try to plant as early as possible and make sure you isolate your cotton crops from any other crops that tend to serve as major hosts for pests, like corn.
Quality over everything
Quality is the most important aspect of your product. High-quality cotton is not as common as you might think on a global scale, so your profitability could be linked more to the quality of your cotton than the amount you produce. The previous tips should help you increase this quality.
For more information about how you can get the best results out of your cotton harvest this year and every year, contact the team at Certi-Pik, USA. We specialize in the fabrication and sale of a wide range of cotton picker parts, and look forward to assisting you soon!
Because cotton is your livelihood, you need to know that your cotton harvester equipment will work when you need it to. But who do you call when you need replacement parts? A reliable source, naturally! Here are some reasons why you should always buy your replacement cotton picker parts from a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited manufacturer.
A better guarantee
After doing your research you’ll learn that there are many places that sell cotton harvester and picker parts. However, not all sellers are selling quality parts. Low-quality parts may be fast to fail, and may even cause damage to other machine parts. In cases where a new replacement part breaks well before it should, it would be fantastic to be able to get a refund or replacement, but you may not get these options if you did not buy from a reputable source to begin with.
With a disreputable manufacturer, you will have to search for the right contact information, report them to the BBB and wait weeks, even months, for a replacement part to arrive or get your money back—if at all. Don’t risk your business and your cotton crop! Buy your cotton picker parts from a reputable source from the start.
Know you are getting quality
A huge reason why you want to do business with a BBB accredited cotton harvester parts manufacturer is because you will know you are buying good quality products. Here’s how the BBB rates businesses: First, they take every customer comment into account, the good, the bad and the ugly. They weigh all the issues a manufacturer has had with customers in the past. If a company is reputable, the BBB will give them a good rating so future customers know they are likely to get quality services or products.
Why is it important that you check the BBB’s website? While you could read comments on online forums or social media, keep in mind that professionals probably have not assessed these kinds of customer ratings. No matter what, do plenty of research before moving forward on an expensive purchase.
Price
Buying off-brand or significantly lower priced picker parts can be tempting, especially considering how quickly maintenance and repair costs can pile up. If there is a noticeable price difference from one manufacturer to another, find out why. In this industry, cheaper parts often mean lower quality, though not always. You need to consider that these parts are for a pretty specific piece of machinery, meaning you want quality parts, which require time, skill and elbow grease to make—and that means they will be more expensive. It should make you wonder how a manufacturer can offer the same part for so much less!
Get the right parts
A lot of times, off-brand parts don’t fit or function correctly. They could even lead to costly problems down the road. This is why it’s important that you buy the brands that match your cotton harvester or a brand recommended by your mechanic.
Reach out to Certi-Pik, USA today for a selection of quality cotton picker parts made by the industry’s leading manufacturers!
Cotton, one of the world’s oldest and most well established cash crops, thrives in areas with long, hot summers. For many centuries, cotton bolls and seeds were picked by hand in a tedious, labor-intensive process. Thankfully, technological innovations in the 19th and 20th centuries removed the vast bulk of manual labor necessary to pick and process cotton effectively. The development of the cotton picker spindle made the process of cotton harvesting substantially easier than previously imagined.
Today, cotton is picked using large cotton picker machines. They have small mechanical digits, called cotton picker spindles, that remove the bolls from the plant, while leaving the plant itself largely intact. The bolls themselves contain both the cotton fibers and the cottonseeds.
Unlike most commodity crops, cottonseeds come second compared to the cushiony fiber’s they’re protected in. Cottonseeds aren’t completely useless, however. Savvy cotton farmers typically use every possible part of the cotton plant, including the cottonseed.
Once the ripe bolls are removed from the stalks using the cotton picker spindles, they are brought into a facility with a cotton gin. The cotton gin strips the seeds, dirt and leftover plant material away from the cotton fibers. After ginning, the cotton fibers go on to be further refined into textiles, yarn, stuffing, thread and myriad other products. Cottonseeds, however, are also refined. Here are just some of the products produced using cottonseeds:
Cooking oil: One of the most lucrative uses of cottonseeds is for cooking oil. High-quality cotton seeds are cleaned and pressed into an edible oil known for its flavor stability. Cottonseed oil appears in a number of household products, including mayonnaise and salad dressing.
Planting seed: Of course, savvy cotton farmers save some of the most viable seeds for future planting. That way, they can continue to plant new cotton fields and reap the rewards of farming each season. Once seeds are past viability, however, farmers may still put them into the ground—they can improve soil as they break down.
Livestock feed: Cottonseeds are a healthy snack for many livestock animals, including hogs. Cottonseed is crushed and all lint is removed before being added to livestock feeds. Cottonseed hull and meal is a high-protein and high-fiber food item for a number of animals.
Cosmetics: Because of its clean, moisturizing oil, cottonseeds are becoming an increasingly popular ingredient in many cosmetic products. Cottonseed oil now appears in soaps, lotions, makeup and more.
Certi-Pik, USA has been the nation’s most trusted provider of cotton picker spindles since 1988. We provide our clients with a wide range of manufactured and fabricated cotton picker parts. We specialize in creating components for rebuilding units, including drumheads, spindles, cam tracks, spindle nuts, idle gears, lubrication hoses and more. Regardless of your needs, we’re here to help. Certi-Pik, USA is proud of its ability to help American farming communities remain competitive and reach their production goals.
To learn more about our extensive range of products and services, reach out to one of our knowledgeable representatives at your earliest possible convenience.
Even the highest quality machinery, after extensive use, begins to break down. If you’re in the cotton farming industry, you surely know that even a minimal amount of downtime can be detrimental to your business’ bottom line. When you’re looking for replacement parts to invest in, you should be aware of the different ways that cotton picker parts are made and sold.
Depending on the type of machinery you use and the replacement part you need to invest in, you may be better served by either manufacturer or fabricated cotton picker parts. There are a number of benefits and drawbacks associated with both types of cotton picker parts. If you are struggling to determine which types of cotton pickers suit you and your operation best, you should consult with a professional cotton picker parts specialist.
Benefits of manufacturer parts
Parts made by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) are specially designed to help your cotton harvesting equipment run as smoothly as possible. Typically speaking, this is the easiest and most rapid way to replace damaged or missing parts on your cotton harvesting machine.
Because OEM parts are made by the original manufacturer of your cotton picking equipment, they are often easy to both order and install.
Buying OEM parts generally reduces the amount of downtime you’ll have to subject your picking operation to, as well. Additionally, OEM parts typically include a limited warranty that ensures you’ll be reimbursed or have the part replaced if it fails within a certain time period. This can help you rest easy knowing that your cotton picker has a high-quality, guaranteed component installed inside it.
Benefits of fabricated parts
Fabricated parts, on the other hand, are custom-made replacement components specially tailored to the needs of your machine. While they take longer to produce and can be more expensive, there are a number of advantages you’ll experience if you invest in fabricated cotton picker parts.
For instance, you can take the initially damaged part to the fabricator for analysis, before they begin recreating the piece. They can determine what failed on the initial component, and address that issue as they begin building a replacement.
Because the interior workings of your machinery may shift and expand after years of operation, they can also create a component that fits your cotton picker more accurately.
Since 1988, Certi-Pik, USA has been the premier provider of cotton picker parts in the United States. We provide each and every one of our customers and clients with high-quality fabricated parts, as well as a slew of OEM components. We sell parts for John Deere and Case IH-branded cotton picking gear.
Don’t let your cotton production fall by the wayside—reach out to one of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives today, and invest in new high-quality cotton picker replacement parts that you can rely on. We’d be more than happy to help you ramp up production and ensure that you’re making the most of your cotton fields. Get in touch with Certi-Pik, USA to learn more!
The proper function of your cotton picker is crucial for the successful harvest of your cotton crop. In order to ensure that your machinery is working the way it should, you need to complete regular maintenance and inspect your machinery for signs of damage or wear. In some cases, you may even need to rebuild your harvester with John Deere cotton picker parts. Find out more about some of the major components of your harvester that you should check before the harvesting season begins:
Tilt: In order for cotton pickers to effectively harvest a crop and separate cotton fiber from other plant matter, the rows of spindles are set at an angle so that the spindles are as low to the soil as possible, typically about one inch above the ground. With this tilt, spindles are kept at a slightly vertical angle for more effective harvesting. Make sure to check the tilt of your spindle rows before harvesting to ensure that it is calibrated for the best harvest possible.
Spindle bushings: Your spindles are an essential component of your harvester, and it’s important that you inspect them regularly. For the best yield, make sure that spindles are kept sharp at the front of the barb—this allows them to effectively separate cotton fibers from plant matter. If your cotton picker has been in storage for several months, you may notice rust developing on spindles and bushings. If you observe rust, it’s a good idea to replace damaged components with quality John Deere cotton picker parts.
Picker ribs: Picker ribs are supposed to work in tandem with your cotton picker spindle to remove sticks, burs and other debris from cotton fiber. When the spindles and ribs are both in good condition, they create an effect that’s similar to a cotton gin through centrifugal cleaning. Look for missing, damaged or loose ribs that may take a toll on the effectiveness of your cotton picker. You should also look for any other signs of damage or wear that might warrant replacement of some or all of your ribs.
Doffers: A doffer uses unwinding and stripping motions to pull cotton seed matter from the spindles. These doffers need to be positioned very close to the spindles in order to work effectively. Over time, you might notice that your doffers become less effective. If this happens, you should first check to ensure that they are properly positioned. Then, take a look at the components themselves to determine whether they are worn or damaged. You can work with a provider of John Deere cotton picker parts if you need to replace your old doffers.
Are you looking for qualtiy replacement parts to rebuild your cotton harvester? At Certi-Pik, USA, we offer an inventory of standard and specialty parts, as well as fabricating services, depending on your needs. We have decades of experience in the industry, and we would be happy to help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Get in touch today!
