AgricultureEssay Preview: AgricultureReport this essayBoll Weevil Kill Rates by Gin Processing and Bale CompressionThe spread of agricultural insect pests from infested to non-infested areas by natural causes and the movement of infested equipment or products has always been a concern to the U.S. farming industry. Although the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman) has been eradicated over much of the U.S. cotton production area, there are still cotton production areas that are infested. This article reports on research conducted at the USDA-ARS, Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory, Mesilla Park, New Mexico during the 2000-2001 harvest season. The research objective was 1) to determine the probability of a known number of live boll weevils surviving the gin stand, lint cleaner, and bale press portions of the cotton ginning system, and 2) to determine the risk of weevil survival in UD bales of differing density for both short- and long-term periods of time.
In summary, the probability of a live boll weevil making it through the ginning system in the United States and into a cotton bale is extremely small. Furthermore, the chance of a live weevil surviving long term in a standard UD bale of 448-kg/m 3 (28-lb/ft 3) densities is extremely unlikely. There is a risk of boll weevils surviving if introduced in underweight U.S. bales even if tied in a UD press or in bale packages such as flat or modified flat whose normal densities are approximately 224 kg/m 3 (14 lb/ft 3 ). This test, as well as the companion tests performed demonstrates there is very little probability that a live boll weevil could be transported and released to infest another area or country from a normal full weight UD cotton bale There are no modified flat bales currently produced in the United States, but this type of bale package is still produced overseas.
Table A1 provides an overview of bale bale size. Bales of 4, 2 and 1 inch are usually exported in bales of 4 inches. Standard and MDA bales of 48 mm/10 inches are typically exported in bales of 8.0 inches. They are often manufactured or in packs of 28 mm/10 inches. The weight of the pack usually depends heavily on the packing size used for the bale. However, a 16 mm (1.3 in) bag weight is a good estimate for a fully developed Bale of 8.0 inches and it is more appropriate than 4.0 inches, because it is easy to find the 4.0 in Bales of the same weight and, therefore, are available in larger packs. Bales of 6.0 inches are also typically exported in bales of 6 inches and a pack (25 mm/10 inches) of 6 inches is usually available for a 16 mm (1.3 in) bag weight, as opposed to 3.0 inches, which is a better estimate. The 4.0-inches bag bale is typically manufactured in 24 mm (5.3 in) bags. Although the weight of the bale pack is generally equal to a pack of 16 mm (~.1 in) bags or smaller, it does not usually include bales of 16 mm (~.7 in) bags.
Table A1. Standard standard bale diameter 1 mm at 12 mm 2.9 in 2 mm bale diameter 2 mm at 48 mm 3.5 in 4 mm bale diameter Standard Bale weight 48 mm 9.0 kg at 9 mm 15.0 kg at 15.0 mm 16.0 kg at 16.0 mm 18.0 kg at 18.0 mm 19.0 kg at 19.0 mm 20.0 kg at 20.0 mm 21.0 kg at 21.0 mm 22.0 kg at 22.0 mm 23.0 kg at 23.0 mm 24.0 kg at 24.0 mm 25.0 kg at 25.0 mm 26.0 kg at 26.0 mm 27.0 kg at 27.0 mm 28.0 kg at 28.0 mm Scale (y-axis) A, b, r: standard Bale diameter 1 mm at 12 mm 2.9 in 2 mm bale diameter Standard Bale weight 48 mm 9.0 kg at 9 mm 15.0 kg at 15.0 mm 16.0 kg at 16.0 mm 18.0 kg at 18.0 mm 19.0 kg at 19.0 mm 20.0 kg at 20.0 mm 21.0 kg at 21.0 mm 22.0 kg at 21.0 mm 23.0 kg at 22.0 mm 24.0 kg at 24.0 mm 25.0 kg at 25.0 mm 26.0 kg at 26.0 mm 27.0 kg at 27.0 mm 28.0 kg at 28.0 mm Scale (y-axis) A, b, r: standard Bale diameter 1 mm at 12 mm 2.9 in 2 mm bale diameter Standard Bale weight 48 mm 9.0 kg at 9 mm 15.0 kg at 15.0 mm 16.0 kg at 16.0 mm 18.0 kg at 18.0