Leaf adhesiveness affects damage to fiber strength during seed cotton cleaning of machine-harvested cotton

Machine harvesting increases the foreign matter content of seed cotton. Excessive cleaning causes fiber damage and economic loss. Most trading companies in the Xinjiang Region have indicated reluctance to use machine-harvested cotton. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of seed cotton cleaning on the fiber quality of machine-harvested cotton in the Xinjiang Region. Cotton samples were collected from thirteen fields and processed in seven ginneries between 2013 and 2015. The results indicated that seed cotton cleaning had mixed effects on fiber strength. Seed cotton cleaning reduced the fiber strength of cotton from seven fields. Damage to fibers from four fields was significant, averaging 1.42 cN/tex. The second and third cleaning caused great fiber damage by 0.65 cN/tex per cleaning. Strength damage was related to cotton leaf adhesiveness but not to foreign matter content. In conclusion, seed cotton cleaning had varying effects on fiber strength due to leaf cleanability. Variety selection should focus on leaf and bract traits so as to improve leaf cleanability to >45%.