2005 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? Current High Volume Instrumentation utilized by industry and the Agricultural Marketing Service, as well as the Advanced Fiber Information System utilized by industry, are inadequate for measuring sufficient fiber quality characteristics. Sufficient fiber property information is lacking and is key to improving plant varieties, production practices, processing machinery design, and end use. In addition, a rapid and covert method of tracking illegal transshipments of textile goods into this country, which is costing the domestic textile industry over a half a billion dollars each year, does not exist. Funding was received in FY2004 to develop a tagging system for U. S. cotton textiles to combat illegal transshipments of foreign textiles into this country. The overall objective of this project is to improve the utilization of U. S. cotton. This overall objective will be met by evaluating new methods to characterize cotton, developing methods to utilize other natural fibers to enhance cotton blends, assessing the impact of new cultivation practices and new varieties on fiber utilization and producing a tool that relates fiber properties to fiber utilization. Specifically, the work of this project will be accomplished by growing, harvesting, and processing fibers (ginning for cotton and cottonizing for flax) by the best production methods and experimental practices. Cotton fibers will be tested for quality by current methods utilized in the marketing system. In addition, new methods (utilizing chemistry, microbiology, and engineering) for assessing cotton fiber friction, convolutions, stickiness and trash will be studied for better identifying fiber quality characteristics. Flax fiber quality will be measured by adapted cotton-based methods. Fibers will be processed into yarn at 100% and in blends in new, state-of-the-art, high speed textile equipment and into nonwovens on pilot scale equipment. In most cases, techniques for processing will need to be developed. Yarn quality, nonwoven quality, processing efficiency and waste generation levels will be quantified. Relationships will be developed between fiber quality and processing output data to develop a computer-based processing improvement tool. The problem of a tagging system will be met by developing a covert tagging system which utilizes dyeing chemistry techniques to tag fibers, specifically cotton, as they are consumed by the textile mill. The woes of the domestic textile industry (116 mill closings in 18 months due to illegal transshipments) directly impact the U. S. cotton producer. This past season, 18.26 million bales of cotton were produced domestically. Of that production, only 6.3 million bales were consumed domestically (projected to be a 5.9 million next season). Historically, domestic consumption has been approximately 10-11 million bales. Being able to place in the hands of the Customs agent a system that would effectively identify goods that are not of U. S. origin would increase the efficiency of Customs in tracking smuggled goods and thus decrease losses in U. S. textile industries and in domestic cotton consumption. The quality requirements placed on U. S cotton and other natural fibers are now greater that ever because these fibers are being marketed globally in competition with fibers from other growing countries where the consumer of the fiber is more demanding due to more available sources of fiber. A better description of fiber properties (including information about frictional properties, metal content, waxes and pectins, as well as insect contamination) is needed in order to properly describe fiber quality relative to end use. Consistency of the U. S. crop is what makes U.S. cotton attractive to foreign markets. Global consumption has increased form 98.66 million in crop year 2003/04 to a projection of 100.66 million for crop year 2004/05. Typically, just under half of the U. S. crop has been exported. Now, more than half is needing to be exported, and this can only be done with knowledge of what fiber characteristics of U. S. cotton give an advantage in mill processing (thereby making it a more desirable cotton on the world market). Not have this knowledge will cost the U. S. cotton producer over $1 billion for lack of marketable advantage. 2.List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. Year 1 - (FY 2005) 1. Crop cottons tested and spun, test results published. 2. Flax fiber collected, tested, spun and put into nonwovens, test results published. 3. Analyze current studies data to add to utility value database, publish results. 4. Deliver first cotton tag for commercial use. Year 2 - (FY 2006) 1. Crop cottons tested and spun, test results published. 2. Deliver FTIR sticky cotton detection system for Beta-site testing. 3. Flax fiber collected, tested, spun and put into nonwovens, test results published. 4. Publish results of new cotton test methods. 5. Analyze current studies data to add to utility value database, publish results. 6. Deliver second cotton tag for commercial use. Year 3 -(FY 2007) 1. Crop cottons tested and spun, test results published. 2. Deliver FTIR stickiness screening method for commercial use. 3. Flax fiber collected, tested, spun and put into nonwovens, test results published, test methods recommended and submitted for adoption by ASTM. 4. Publish results of new cotton test methods. 5. Analyze current studies data to add to utility value database, publish results. Year 4 - (FY 2008) 1. Crop cottons tested and spun, test results published. 2. Flax fiber test methods recommended and submitted for adoption by ASTM. 3. Publish results of new cotton test methods. 4. Deliver utility value model for commercial use. 4a.What was the single most significant accomplishment this past year? Processing cottonized flax into a blended cotton/fax yarn at commercial production rates and subsequently processing the yarn into commercial fabric was successfully accomplished. This accomplishment is signficant because it demonstrates that domestically grown flax fiber which has been cut to match the staple length of cotton is viable on a commercial scale for textiles. Researchers at the Cotton Quality Research Unit in partnership with Inman Mills organized a commercial scale trial to implement the use of cotton/flax blend yarns developed by this Unit to produce commercial quantities of fabric for shirting material and denim. The yarn was woven on high-speed weaving machines at a high efficiency and resulted in fabrics with a unique appearance and improved fabric hand without compromising the fabric strength. The success of this effort demonstrates that domestically grown flax fiber is a good alternative natural fiber source that provides enhanced fabric characteristics for domestic textile mills and will provide a competitive advantage in the global textile market. 4b.List other significant accomplishments, if any. Controlling the micro-climate of textile processing equipment to maintain the stored moisture in cotton fiber was successfully accomplished. This accomplishment is significant because it demonstrates that it is possible to prevent the loss of moisture in cotton during processing and improve fiber and yarn quality. Researchers at the Cotton Quality Research Unit organized a trial to modify the ambient air surrounding the enclosed area (micro-climate) of textile processing equipment to evaluate the effects of changes in the processing equipment micro-climate on fiber moisture content, fiber quality and yarn quality. The results of this effort determined that maintaining a high saturation level in the micro-climate of processing equipment minimizes the loss of fiber moisture, improves fiber quality, and improves yarn quality. Maintaining fiber moisture through processing could save textile mills thousands of dollars each year due to improved yarn quality which results in improved yarn performance for their customers. 5.Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. The significiant accomplishments, which serve as a foundation for the current project, are: The Cotton Quality Research Unit, in collaboration with the Quality Assessment Research Unit in Athens, GA, developed a rapid detection method for cotton which is commercially sound and a mitigation method which is based on worldwide, commercially available technology. Specific to this FY, the detection and mitigation system has been used in Beta-site testing on bale quantitites of cotton successfully in a gin-type situation. Successfully mitigating sticky cotton will have an enormous economic impact for U. S. cottons by preserving the value of cotton fiber and by eliminating the costly discount for stickiness on cotton fiber. At the request of the American Yarn Spinner's Association, the Cotton Quality Research Unit conducted a feasibility study to determine if it were possible to place a chemical tag on cotton fiber which could late be detected in a textle garment after harsh textile processing for purposes of screening of U. S. Customs agents for combating illegal transshipments of textile goods into the U.S. Scientists at this unit conducted a trial with samples of cottons using a unique tag developed at this unit and tested it at various stages of textile processing. Scientists discovered that it was indeed possible to tag cotton and detect the tag after all stages of textile processing. The results of this study were so encouraging to the textile and cotton production segments of the cotton industry that they have requested funding for this Unit to fully develop this technology to combat illegal trade. Single most significant accomplishment during FY 2004: Tagging cotton on a commercial scale at a commercial Beta-site was successfully accomplished and the tag successfully survived all subsequent processing. This accomplishment is significant because it demonstrated that the methodology and the initial tagging materials developed by this Unit are viable on a commercial scale and because the time for implementation will be reduced due to expediency in development time. Researchers at the Cotton Quality Research Unit in partnership with American Truetzschler (a textile machinery manufacturer) and John Weir and Associates (manufacturers of spraying systems) organized a trial on a commmercial scale to implement the use of the cotton tag by this Unit and the applicaton methodology by the Unit to tag commercial quantitites of processed cotton. The tagged cotton was then spun, knitted and dyed to test the survivability of the tag, which was successfully detected in the finished product. The success of this effort demonstrates that tagging of cotton is feasible on a commercial scale and is a viable solution to combating illegal transshipments of textile goods into this country. Other significant accomplishment(s),if any: A moisture restoration trial was conducted at ginning and spinning and the results were compiled and published by ARS for use as a educational tool for ginners and to establish an acceptable moisture level for ginned cotton. This accomplishment is significant because it resulted in establishing a moisture level of 7.4% or less as acceptable for ginned lint in order to minimize fiber damage and processing problems. Researchers at the Cotton Quality Research Unit in partnership with researcher at the Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory organized a trial on a commercial gin with a commercially available moisture restoration system to conduct trials whereby varying levels of moisture were added to the ginned lint for storage studies to evaluate the effect of varying degrees of restored moisture on fiber and yarn properties. The results of this effort determined that restored moisture above 8% resulted in deteriorating fiber quality and poor yarn properties, which resulted in a recommendation by the National Cotton Council establishing a level of 7.5% moisture as the highest level of restored moisture acceptable at ginning. 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? Researchers at this unit contributed to an educational publication that was distributed on-line by ARS entitled "Recommended Maximum Moisture Content for Storing Baled Cotton", which lists results for ARS research and recommendations. This publication is now available at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/Reports/cotton/maxmoistbaledcotton.htm Researchers at this unit have demonstrated to a U. S. textile mill the necessary requirements for processing cottonized flax/cotton blend yarns on commercial textile machinery. These yarns will be produced on a commercial scale by the mill this year and be available in products the mill supplies cloth to by the end of this calendar year. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). McAlister III, D. 2005. Foreign mill quality needs. Arizona Cotton Ginner's Association, April 29-May 1, 2005, Prescott, AZ. McAlister III, D. 2005. An update on the variety quality study. Engineered Fiber Selection Conference, June 8, 2005, Memphis, TN. Backe, E., McAlister III, D. D., Hughs, S. E. 2004. Bale moisture addition - a case study, part II. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio, TX, January 5-9, 2004. p. 3002-3007. Hughs, E., Armijo, C., Baker, K., McAlister III, D. 2004. Bale moisture addition - a case study. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio, TX, January 5-9, 2004. p 2995-3001. Cui, X., Thibodeaux, D., Robert, K., Calamari, T., McAlister III, D., Watson, T.D. 2004. Statistical parameters of cotton short fibers. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio, TX, January 5-9, 2004. p. 2383-2386. Baker, K., Hughs, S. E., McAlister III, D. 2004. Bale moisture addition with a rotor spray [abstract] . Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio, TX, January 5-9, 2004. p. 3055. Bauer, P. J., McAlister III, D. D. 2004. A comparison of transgenic and conventional cultivars: (part. 1)yield, HVI and AFIS [abstract]. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio, TX, January 5-9, 2004. p. 2944. Brushwood, D. E. 2005. Reducing stickiness on honeydew contaminated cottons using over-spray. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Cotton Quality Measurements Conference, January 3-7, 2005, New Orleans, LA. p. 2352-2361. Chun, D. T., McAlister III, D. D. 2005. Quick summary of the latest moisture restoration at the gin study and a microbial check study on the population densities on "discolored" and "clean" cotton. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, Cotton Quality Measurements Conference, January 3-7, 2005, New Orleans, LA. p. 2373-2379. Gamble, G. R. 2004. The relationship between fiber maturity and moisture content. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, Cotton Quality Measurements Conference, January 5-9, 2004, San Antonio, TX. p. 2327-2330. Foulk, J. A., McAlister III, D. D. 2005. Trash identification at the card. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, January 4-7, 2005, New Orleans, LA. p. 2244-2253. Murali, S., Hughs, S.E., Lieberman, M., Foulk, J. A. 2005. Comparison of small trash measurements between imaging techniques and AFIS. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 4-7, 2005, New Orleans, LA, p. 2362-2372. Akin, D. E., McAlister III, D. D., Foulk, J. A., Evans, J. D. 2002. Cotton fibers: properties and interaction with flax fibers in blends. Proceedings of the 26th International Cotton Conference, Bremen; Faserinstitute Bremen, Germany; pp. 199-206. Foulk, J. A., Bauer, P. J., Akin, D. E., Busscher, W. J., Camp, Jr., C. R., Ayala, S. T., Dodd, R. 2005. Tillage effects on cotton and flax. Annual Southern Conservation Tillage Conference for Sustainable Agriculture, The Science of Conservation Tillage -- Continuing the Discoveries. Clemson University, Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Florence, SC, June 27-29, 2005. p. 131-139. Foulk, J. A., Chao, W. Y., Akin, D. E., Dodd, R. B., Layton, P. A. 2005. Analysis of flax fiber fabric blends and recycled polyethylene composites. Bio Environmental Polymer Society, 12th Annual BEPS Conference, December 5-10, 2004, Monterey, Mexico. p. 48-49. Akin, D. E., Morrison III, W. H., Rigsby, L. L., Dodd., R. B., Foulk, J. A., McAlister III, D. D. 2000. Enzyme retting and properties of flax fibers. Fiber Flax Processing for Applications in Textiles and Composites. The Center for American Flax Fiber, Clemson University; pp. Appendix IV, 1-6. Foulk, J. A., McAlister III, D. D. 2005. Trash identification at the card [abstract]. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 3-7, 2005, New Orleans, LA. p. 2244. Akin, D. E., Dodd, R.B., Foulk, J. A., McAlister III, D. D. 2001. Flax fiber: potential for a new crop in the southeast [abstract]. Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops Conference, p. 29. Annis, P., Akin, D. E., Foulk, J. A., Vaughn, E. 2005. Cotton flax blended nonwoven fabrics with value-added properties for industrial markets [abstract]. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 3-7, 2005, New Orleans, LA. p. 2780. Review Publications Brushwood, D. 2005. Predicting yarn processing performance from the noncellulosic content of raw cottons.Textile Research Journal 75(1):1-5. Chun, D.T.W., McAlister, D. D., Cobb, D. R. 2005. Microbial activity of stored cotton bales with ambient and moderate moisture levels. Journal of Cotton Science 9:24-29. Jacobs, R. R., Chun, D. C. 2004. Inter-laboratory analysis of endotoxin in cotton dust samples. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 46:333-337. McAlister, III, D. D., Rogers, C. D. 2005. The effect of harvesting procedures on fiber and yarn quality of ultra-narrow-row cotton. Journal of Cotton Science 9:15-23. McAlister III, D.D. 2001. Comparison of ultra-narrow row and conventionally grown cottons. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. Vol 17(6):737-741. McAlister III, D.D., Foulk, J.A., Harrison, R.E. 2003. Afis length measurement of hand sorted cottons by length group. Journal of Cotton Science 7:217-223. McAlister III, D.D., Chun, D.T., Gamble, G.R., Godbey, L.C., Cobb, D.R. 2005. The impact of carding micro-climates on cotton moisture content and fiber and yarn quality. Journal of Cotton Science 9:97-101.. Gamble, G. R. 2004. Implications of surface chemistry on cotton fiber processing. Textile Research Journal 8:198-2004. Akin, D.E., Foulk, J.A., Dodd, R.B., Epps, H.H. 2004. Properties of enzyme-retted, mechanically processed flax fibers. International Conference on Textile Biotechnology. June 13-16, Graz, Austria. Abstract #16. EVANS, J.D., AKIN, D.E., MORRISON III, W.H., HIMMELSBACH, D.S., MCALISTER III, D.D., FOULK, J.A. MODIFICATION OF DEW-RETTED FLAX FIBER AND YARNS VIA SECONDARY ENZYMATIC TREATMENT. TEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 2003. v. 73(10). p. 901-906. AKIN, D.E., MORRISON III, W.H., RIGSBY, L.L., EVANS, J.D., FOULK, J.A. INFLUENCE OF WATER PRE-SOAK ON ENZYME-RETTING OF FLAX. INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS. 2003. v. 17. p. 149-159. Evans, J.D., Akin, D.E., Morrison Iii, W.H., Himmelsbach, D.S., Foulk, J.A. 2002. Modification of dew retted flax fibers by means of an air-atomized enzyme treatment. Textile Research Journal 72(7): 578-585. 2002. Akin, D.E., Foulk, J.A., Dodd, R.B. 2002. Influence on flax fiber of components in enzyme-retting formulations. Textile Research Journal; Vol. 72(6), pp. 510-514. Epps, H.H., Akin, D.E., Foulk, J.A., Dodd, R.B. 2001. Color of enzyme-retted flax fiber affected by processing, cleaning and cottonizing. Textile Research Journal; Vol. 71(10), pp. 916-921. Akin, D.E., Foulk, J.A., Dodd, R.B., Mcalister III, D.D. 2001. Enzyme-retting of flax and characterization of processed fibers. Journal of Biotechnology. 89:193-203. Akin, D.E., Henriksson, G., Evans, J.D., Adamsen, A., Foulk, J.A., Dodd, R.B. 2004. Progress in Enzyme-Retting of Flax. Journal of Natural Fibres. Vol. 1, pp. 21-47. Akin, D.E., Dodd, R.B., Foulk, J.A. 2005. Pilot plant for processing flax fiber. Industrial Crops and Products. 21:369-378. Epps, H.H., Akin, D.E., Foulk, J.A., Dodd, R.B. 2001. Color of Enzyme-Retted Flax Fiber Affected by Processing, Cleaning and Cottonizing. Textile Research Journal. Foulk, J.A. 2005. Standard test method for assessing clean flax fiber fineness. American Society for Testing Materials Standards (ASTM International-D7025-04a). Book of Standards Volume 7.02, 5 pages. Gamble, G.R. 2005. Cotton fiber chemical differences and their effect on friction behavior: a comparison of two crop years in the ATMI/ARS Leading Cultivars Study. Journal of Cotton Science 9:56-64. Foulk, J.A., Mcalister Iii, D.D., Himmelsbach, D.S., Hughs, S.E. 2004. Mid-infrared spectroscopy of cotton rotor dust. Journal of Cotton Science, Vol. 8, Issue 4, 243-253. Funk, P.A., Armijo, C.B., McAlister,III, D.D., Lewis, B.E. 2004. Experimental thermal defoliator trials. The Journal of Cotton Science. 8(4):230-242. Available: http://www.cotton.org/journal/current/cfm Evans, J.D., Akin, D.E., Foulk, J.A. 2002. Flax-retting by polygalacturonase-containing enzyme mixtures and effects on fiber properties. Journal of Biotechnology; Vol. 97, pp. 223-231.