In the ongoing effort to eliminate plastic contamination, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has developed a module feeder camera system with the associated components, which will allow a ginner to view their module feeder cylinders in order to detect contamination.
They have published a detailed fact sheet that will allow ginners to build their own camera system, using the components specified by the USDA-ARS. Click here to view the fact sheet on the National Cotton Ginners Association website.
The installation of cameras will allow ginners a periodic real-time view of the module feeder’s dispersing cylinders, which will allow for detection and prompt removal of plastic contaminants before the seed cotton is ginned.
Dr. Greg Holt with USDA-ARS stated that, “in practice we’ve observed that when these systems are installed, the gin crews are much more respondent to keeping the cylinders clean which should, in turn, result in a significant reduction in the number of plastic calls on bales classed by USDA-AMS.”
