The Case IH 625 cotton picker unloads a cotton module on a farm near Steele, Mo. Staff photo by Lyman Skyles [Click to enlarge]

A revolution is taking place in the cotton field. New cotton harvesting equipment unveiled by Case IH and John Deere promises to eliminate module builders, and reduce the manpower and equipment needed to pick cotton crops.

Both farm equipment giants now have harvesting equipment available that not only picks cotton but bales it as well. Beyond that, the similarity of the equipment ends as both employ different strategies.

Case IH produces a module that is one-half the size of conventional modules, while John Deere produces a round bale.

The John Deere 7760 harvests cotton, building round modules. Completed modules appear in the foreground. Photo provided [Click to enlarge]

Case IH was the first cotton picker-packager with on-board module building to hit the market. The Case IH Module Express 625 was released last November. The John Deere 7760 module picker hit the market in August.

"The new system reduces the manpower and equipment needed for harvesting cotton," said David Williams, sales manager for Baker Farm Equipment. "It will revolutionize the industry."

Williams said Case IH had experimented with both round and square bale systems in the past, but decided to go with the more familiar module concept, although the module produced is half the size of the conventional module--8x8x16 ft instead of 8x8x32 ft.

"The premise of going with the module was not to reinvent the wheel," Williams said. "They did quite a bit of experimenting before deciding on the smaller but conventional module concept."

The modules formed by the 625 can be as small as 4,000 pounds and as large as 12,000 pounds. Available yield monitor lets the operator to keep track of yields on the go, how much cotton is in the basket and to plan drop off points for completed modules.

The smaller modules can be handled with conventional module trucks (two modules will fit in the truck) and gins can handle the modules in the same fashion they do the larger ones.

Williams said after being deposited in the field the modules can be covered with a reusable tarp as with the conventional modules.

He said Baker Implement has eight harvesters in its sales territory this season. That was the number of machines it was allotted this season as production was limited. Case IH will be in full production next season.

Jeff Bazzell, vice president of Bazzell and Wilder, said John Deere decided to develop the round bale system because it would allow virtual non-stop harvesting.

"As the cotton is picked, it is moved to an accumulator, much the same way as cotton would move to the basket of a traditional picker. Once the accumulator is full, the cotton is dumped into the round module chamber where it is formed into a round module and wrapped in a protective covering, ejected onto a retractable gate at the rear of the machine with the push of a button it can be dropped in place in the field without stopping allowing the farmer to continue picking cotton."

The round modules can be 36- to 90- inches in diameter and 8 feet long.

Not having to stop to eject a module increases harvesting efficiency from "70 percent to around 90 percent," Bazzell said.

Bazzell and Wilder had one 7760 in operation this season. He said Charles Parker of Senath used a 7760 and was able to harvest 145 acres of cotton, averaging about three bales an acre, in one 16-hour day.

John Deere says the only special equipment a producer may need is a tractor mounted round module handler for staging the modules and lifting them onto a flatbed trailer. Four of the round modules can be fitted into a standard module truck with only slight modification of the conveyor chain.

The company said its system provides such benefits as reduced waste and improved quality preservation all due to the fact the round modules are wrapped with a special protective covering meaning no more loss during transport, or from water wicking up from the ground.

Both systems eliminate the need of a module builder, boll buggies and reduce manpower requirements.

The Case IH ME 625 weighs in around 51,000 pounds, is powered by a 550 cubic inch six cylinder diesel engine producing 365 horsepower. The company said its 200 gallon fuel tank is sufficient for a 12-hour day.

The John Deere 7760 weighs 67,667 pounds, is powered by a 824 cubic inch six cylinder diesel engine producing 500 hp. It has a 300 gallon fuel tank which the company says allows up to 12 hours continuous operation.