MICROBIAL CENSUS AND COTTON BALE MOISTURE DURING A 6-MONTH STORAGE.

As part of an ongoing investigation, a corroborative study was done to follow fiber quality, moisture content and microbial population changes for 1-, 2- and 6-month storage periods in cotton bales with high moisture contents. The target moisture contents were 6% (control/ambient moisture content), 8%, 10% and 12%. The high moisture content bales lost moisture after 6-months storage while the three other moisture content bales tended to retain the same moisture content. However, the distribution of moisture was not uniformly dispersed in the treatment bales with spottiness increasing with increased moisture. Microbial populations did not change significantly during 1 and 2 months storage, which were colder winter months. The greatest microbial changes associated with moisture content occurred after 6 months of storage, which took place during the warmer spring and summer months. Observations on fiber quality associated with moisture content indicate degraded color changes increased with increased added moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]