The effect of harvest on quality in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The study was carried out to determine effect of harvest methods on fiber quality in cotton grown in the Efeler, Kocarlı, Incirliova, Soke, Germencik and Nazilli districts of Aydın province, Turkey. The experiment was arranged as randomized complete plots design with two factors.In this study Gloria was used as research material. In the research, ginning percentage, fiber fineness, fiber length, fiber strength, uniformity index of fiber length, color reflectance, maturity degree of fiber, short fiber content, fiber brightness, yellowness rate of fiber, trash count in fiber and fiber color were studied. The effect of locations on ginning percentage, fiber fineness, fiber strength, fiber length and fiber brightness were found to be significant. The ginning percentage, fiber fineness, maturity degree of fiber, fiber strength, color reflectance, yellowness rate of fiber and trash count in fiber were influenced significantly by harvest methods. A significant location x harvest methods interaction were determined for ginning percentage, fiber fineness, maturity degree of fiber, fiber length, uniformity index of fiber length and fiber strength measurements. Besides, the lowest fiber color was found in the harvest machine at all locations. The result showed that hand harvest was more oppropirate than machine harvest method especially for ginning percentage, maturity degree of fiber, fiber strength, fiber brightness, trash count in fiber and fiber color.On the other hand, machine harvestime was found to be appropirot interms of yellowness rate of fiber and fiber fineness. Keywords: Cotton, Harvest, Quality