World's first module-building cotton harvester rolls!
14 Jul '07
3 min read
Case IH began testing various concepts for a module-building cotton picker in the 1970s, including configurations that produced round bales and smaller rectangular modules.
"The overwhelming favorite concept of ginners and farmers alike was an 8-foot by 8-foot by 16-foot module, which is exactly half the size of traditional modules. That means that gins can handle our modules with zero additional investment. "Ginning Case IH modules and traditional modules together is a seamless operation. A modern cotton gin that produces 60 ginned bales per hour will be equally maximized while ginning the Case IH module," Haggard says.
Cost savings for growers: With the Module Express, a single machine does the work that previously required a picker, a boll buggy and a tractor to pull the cotton to a separate module builder operated by another tractor.
That means operators can reduce their investment in fuel, labor and capital. Cost savings with the Module Express total 25 percent compared to traditional cotton harvesting methods, according to a study by Mississippi State University economist D.W. Parvin.
"With this equipment you can cut your labor force by more than half. It makes life a lot easier," says Jimmy Hargett, who field-tested four Module Express units on his farm near Memphis, Tenn.
No plastic or twine contaminants: The Case IH Module Express utilizes an environmentally friendly, 16-foot tarp to protect bales fromweather damage. Tarps are made of a reusable material to eliminate the risk of contaminating the finished product.
If twine or plastic enter the harvest or module building system, it can be ingested into the cotton gin and even woven into the dyed cotton, resulting in a defective garment.
"For environmental reasons, we appreciate not having to use disposable plastic covers on the modules," says Kenneth Hood, past president of the National Cotton Council and a farmer and ginner in Gunnison, Miss.
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