Harvest Splitting as a Good Agricultural Practice to Ensure the Quality of Cotton Fiber ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Context: The major challenges of cotton cultivation in Côte d’Ivoire are the improvement of field yields and fiber quality. One of the methods proposed to ensure the quality of cotton fiber is split cotton harvesting. In order to study the influence of this practice on the technological characteristics of cotton fiber, a study was undertaken in three production zones in Côte d’Ivoire. In the present study, seed cotton was harvested at 50%, 75% and 100% boll opening. After ginning, the fibers were analyzed on an HVI chain and their main technological characteristics were evaluated. Results: The results obtained show that regardless of the area, the crop splitting influences the parameters studied, such as the length, short fiber rate, tenacity, brightness and yellowness index of the fiber. Thus, harvesting at 50% capsule opening improves the fiber length by 1.5 mm, tenacity by 1.04 g/tex and brightness by 1.23, while reducing the short fiber rate by 0.84% and the yellowness index by 0.47. As for harvesting at 75% capsule opening, it increases the length by 0.72 mm, tenacity by 0.79 g/tex and brightness by 1.13, while decreasing the short fiber rate by 0.69% and the yellowness index by 0.45. Conclusion: Splitting the cotton harvest improves the quality of the fiber. It is therefore a practice to be recommended to producers in order to preserve the quality of the fiber, especially that carried out at 50% opening of the cotton bolls.