DRAFT STANDARD

ICS: 59.060.10

Published by Ethiopian Standards Agency ©ESA

ETHIOPIAN STANDARD

Guideline for Cotton Harvesting – Handpicking

ES 6673:2021

First edition12-01-2021

DRAFT STANDARD

ES 6673:2021

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Foreword This Ethiopian Standard has been prepared under the direction of Technical Committee for Textile-

Fibers (TC 67) and published by the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA).

In preparing this Ethiopian Standard reference has been made to the following: Cotton production manual (2014) developed by Ethiopian Institute of Agricaltural Research (EIAR)

Acknowledgement is made for the use of information from the above publication.

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DRAFT STANDARD

Guideline for Cotton Harvesting – Handpicking

1. Scope

This Ethiopian standard specifies the general Guideline for Cotton Harvesting (Handpicking).

2. Normative References

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies. ES 6671 Seed cotton manual harvesting fabric bags— Specification

ES 6676 Seed Cotton Grading

CES 38: Classification and grading of Lint Cotton

ES ISO 6938: Natural fibers terminology

ES 442 Open pollinated Cotton improved seed- Specification

3. Terms and Definitions For the purpose of this Ethiopian Standard the definitions in ES ISO 6938 and the following definitions shall apply.

3.1. hand picking cotton: harvesting of cotton manually using casual labor force or family members 3.2. picker: is a person who picks cotton manually 3.3. Days to maturity of cotton: the number of days required for cotton from planting to bollopening 3.4. cotton fiber maturity: when all the cotton plant boll gets open and ready to harvest.

ETHIOPIAN STANDARD ES 6673:2021

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DRAFT STANDARD

4. Hand picking guideline Cotton is handpicked by casual labor in the farm and by family members in the case of small-scale

farms. Picking efficiency depends on training of pickers, boll weight, plant shape and size and

yield.Because of intelligence inbuilt into the manual picking system, the handpicked cotton is the

cleanest cotton that can be harvested and it better preserves the quality characteristics. It is slow,

tedious and costly method of harvesting cotton.

4.1. Picking/harvesting stage 4.1.1. The readiness of the crop for picking should follow the “days to maturity’’ of the

variety/varieties in use. 4.1.2. Producers should check the cotton farm frequently for the status of the opened bolls present

in the farm during close to the expected harvest time.

4.1.3. Picking commences first when fluffed out cotton that feels dry is ready for picking and 65%

of the bolls are open and the second/last picking continues two to three weeks later after the

first pick.

4.1.4. Weeds should be removed before creating harvesting irregularities

4.2. Picking/Harvesting time 4.2.1. Picking should be done during morning or late afternoon time

4.2.2. Picking should be carried out after dews evaporate in the morning and seed cotton should

be allowed to dry before picking is commenced and if moist cotton is picked it should be

allowed to dry in the shade before storing it away.

4.2.3. For health and safety of pickers, picking should be avoided during hot noon.

4.3. Picker training 4.3.1. Pickers should be trained to separate clean, undamaged cotton from trashy or stained

cotton.

4.3.2. Pickers should cover their heads and wear cotton clothes as artificial threads and human

hairs are the most difficult among the trash to be removed in the ginning and textile

factories.

4.3.3. Pickers should avoid picking dried leaves, barks, weeds and immature bolls

4.3.4. Supervision of the pickers should be in place to avoid potential contaminants in picking,

packing and tying material.

4.3.5. Pickers should use both hands to pick the bolls from either side of the row, picking the bolls

nearer to each hand and depositing the picked seed cotton into a sack or pouch.

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DRAFT STANDARD4.3.6. Pickers should be trained on handling of sharp points of dried bracts which can injure fingers

causing discomfort and carry the load of harvested cotton create a moderate amount of

drudgery in human pickers.

4.4. Picking / harvesting step 4.4.1. Harvesting of cotton bolls should commence from the lower most bolls and go all the way

up. This eliminates contamination from upper dried leaves and bracts.

4.4.2. Pickers should eliminate any likelihood of collecting dried leaves, barks, weeds and

immature bolls.

4.5. Picking /harvesting and Storage materials 4.5.1. Pickers should use cotton made bags (ES 6671) with twine ties suitable for handling seed

cotton and hand-woven bamboo baskets for picking.

4.5.2. Pickers should be provided cotton made larger bags to store the picking of the day.

4.5.3. Pickers should avoid any woven polypropylene materials at all stages of cotton handling to

reduce contamination.

4.6. Field storage conditions 4.6.1. Seed cotton should be stored in clean and well compacted ground as storing on loose earth

or on dried grass along the field gather trash.

4.6.2. Proper Seed cotton storage should be dry, moisture-controlled contamination free storage,

neat and clean surroundings.

4.6.3. Picked seed cotton should be allowed to dry in shade; excessive exposure to sun can cause

yellowing of cotton thus lowering the grade.

4.6.4. Grading should also start in the field during picking in order to minimize foreign matter in the

seed cotton.

4.6.5. Seed cotton should be stored at the farm and warehouse for short time.

4.6.6. Producers should not press seed cotton to much in to storage or transportation bags using

sharp object/stick.

4.7. Transportation requirements 4.7.1. Safe transportation should be used to avoid addition of any contaminant

a) Avoid transporting non cotton materials together with seed cotton

b) Transport different lots separately (different varieties, first & second harvest)

c) Transporting from farms to ginning factories in open vehicles affect

d) Transportation of seed cotton should be fully covered to avoid exposure to dust, rain and wind

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DRAFT STANDARD4.8. Warehouse storage 4.8.1. Non cotton materials like cloth pieces, woven plastics, jute fibers, synthetic threads, human

hair, wood pieces, pieces of cigarettes, tobacco pouches, grease & lubricants , dusts and

stone etc. should be avoided at all costs during storage.

4.8.2. Seed cotton warehouse should have covered sheds with cemented clean floor.

4.8.3. Polytene/ plastic sheets use should be avoided for storage purpose.

4.8.4. Seed cotton moisture should be monitored regularly during extended periods of storage.The

moisture content of seed cotton in storage rather than the method of storage is the primary

consideration in minimizing deterioration prior to ginning.

4.8.5. A rapid rise in temperature indicatesa moisture problem, necessitating ventilation to reduce

the moisture content or immediate ginning to prevent deterioration. Temperatures in excess

of 67° C are considered to be indicative of a serious moisture problem which could lead to

extensive fiber deterioration. If the length of the hand-picking period is protracted and

ginning is not immediately carried out, fire will be a threat to the stored cotton.

4.8.6. Seed cotton intended for planting seed should be ginned as soon as possible.

Table1.Safe Storage of Seed Cotton

Moisture Content of Seed Cotton (Percent Wet Basis)

Days of Storage

8-10 30

10-12 20

12-14 10

14-15 <3

5. Inspection

The inspection should be carried out according to aforementioned of the guideline. (With respect to clause 4)

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Bibliography Sorrensen and Wilkes (1959)

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Organization and Objectives

The Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA) is the national standards body of Ethiopia established in 2010 based on regulation No. 193/2010.ESA is established due to the restructuring of Quality and Standards Authority o f Ethiopia ( QSAE) which was established in 1998.

ESA’s objectives are:-

Develop Ethiopian standards and establish a system that enable to check whether goods and services are in compliance with the required standards,

Facilitat the country’s technology transfer through the use of standards,

Develop national standards for local products and services so as to make them competitive in the international market.

Ethiopian Standards

The Ethiopian Standards are developed by national technical committees which are composed of different stakeholders consisting of educational institutions, research institutes, government organizations, certification, inspection, and testing organizations, regulatory bodies, consumer association etc. The requirements and/ or recommendations contained in Ethiopian Standards are consensus based that reflects the interest of the TC representatives and also of comments received from the public and other sources. Ethiopian Standards are approved by the National Standardization Council and are kept under continuous review after publication and updated regularly to take account of latest scientific and technological changes. Orders for all Ethiopian Standards, International Standard and ASTM standards, including electronic versions, should be addressed to the Documentation and Publication Team at the Head office and Branch (Liaisons) offices. A catalogue of Ethiopian Standards is also available freely and can be accessed in from our website.

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