Cotton Objective Yield Procedures (Training Materials)

Cotton Objective
Yield Procedures

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This damaged boll will not produce any
pickable cotton and must be clipped
and thrown outside the unit. This is not
counted as a burr or as a boll.

Some ginnable cotton may be obtained
from this boll and it should be classified as an open boll. Here’s the test:
If you would pick up a lock from this
boll from the ground during the postharvest, then classify it as an open
boll. Do not classify it as a partially
open boll.

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Each unit has a 5-foot buffer zone and a 10-foot count section for each
row. There is also a 3-foot count section in row 1 of both unit 1 and unit 2.

Post-harvest observations must be done
carefully and as soon as possible after the
farmer harvest.

The Fruiting Stage of Cotton

Square

Blooms

Count the bloom although it is not fully open.
About two days after fully opening, the bloom
will have turned red and dried up and a small
boll will be developed.

Small bolls

Large bolls

Open bolls

Unopened bolls which will not pass through the
1-inch boll gauge are classified as large bolls.

Clip, pick and weigh all open bolls in the 10-foot
count section

Bolls with one or more locks missing either on
the ground or on the plant are classified as burrs.
Intact open bolls on the ground in the unit are also
counted as burrs. Bolls with locks damaged by insects or disease are not burrs; they are open bolls.
Do not count an unopened boll on the ground if it
was there before you arrived. But, if it falls while
you are making observations, it must be counted.

A partially open boll will have green tinted carpel
walls and some cotton visible but it is not sufficiently open for harvesting. An open boll will
have all the locks intact and be open sufficiently
to allow for normal harvesting.

This boll is counted as an open boll even though
one attached lock is hanging from the boll.

This is an open boll and not a burr. Portions
of its locks have been damaged and will be
removed in the ginning process. Remove
the damaged portions from the ginnable
cotton before weighing.

This boll needs careful examination for
proper classification. Since it is doubtful
that a picker will even pick the locks which
may have ginnable cotton, classify this boll
as damaged. However, if the boll is likely
to be stripped and there is ginnable cotton
in the locks, classify it as an open boll – but
never a partially open boll or burr.