Meeting of the task force on CSITC, Sunday 21st Oct.

Meeting opened with Axel Dreiling presentation on results from CSITC trials 2/2007 and 3/2007. The following observations were made:

• 54 testing facilities and 74 instruments participated in CSITC 2/2007 and 52 testing facilities and 69 instruments participated in CSITC 3/2007

• Difference in micronaire average being lower in CSITC results than established values. Difference in length average being higher in CSITC results than established values (Established values are from USDA. I have noticed on USDA check testing that participating labs usually fall lower on micronaire and higher on length than USDA)

• The question was asked whether the same labs were consistently out of tolerance range for evaluation result. It was not known but will be looked into from now on.

• There is still colour Rd variation between HVI 1000/Spectrum instruments compared to older models. Uster are looking into this problem. Colour technology on HVI 1000 and Spectrums is different to older models

• The question was asked whether CSITC Should be testing Stickiness and neps - Results on stickiness and neps are still too variable

CSITC meeting Wednesday, 24th Oct.

Andrew McDonald opened meeting with following comments:

• Good progress has been made with commercial differences between instruments

• Convince the world that instrument testing is the way to go

• Three trials in 07 have provided very good results

• Organisations very close to USDA established results

• Help those organisations that are out of tolerance

• Encourage other test centres (Maybe Australian merchants could encourage overseas mills to participate. I would think South East Asian mills would not know about CSITC round test trials)

Jimmy Knowlton made the following comments:

• Still looking at having SFI on calibration cotton. If achieved will only be for HVI 1000 instruments

• China’s 5 year plan to have 370 instruments in 90 facilities to test all China crop. There will be 200 instruments in China by end 2007

• USDA working with China CFIB to participate in CSITC round trials

• USDA will be releasing standards for instrument qualification (CCAA are looking at instrument qualification)

• USDA will be releasing procedures for establishing calibration cotton values (Maybe Australia could create their own calibration standards in the future)

It was also mentioned that the 5th sample sent by CSITC is a bale from another country outside the USA. CSITC are asking other countries to donate a bale for the 5th sample. This bale would be sent to the USDA for testing prior to sending out as 5th sample. Obviously a very good uniform bale is required.

Would Australia donate a bale for CSITC testing? I could work out costing for this if required for CRDC to evaluate. I think it would be good to send out a good quality Australian bale for CSITC testing.

CSITC round trial 2007/4 has just been completed and results are due in December.

A new form will be sent out for participation in 2008 CSITC round trials. There will be a new box on the form to ask participants if they do not wish to be identified as a CSITC round trial participant.

The next CSITC task force meeting will be held in Bremen, Germany on Wednesday 2nd April, 2008.

I have included the following reports:

• RT 2007-2 General Evaluation lab.pdf (results of all labs)

• RT 2007-3 General Evaluation lab.pdf (results of all labs)

• CSITC – 2007.pdf (CSITC 2007-2 Rene’s report on CCAA participation)

• CSITC – 2007RT 3.pdf (CSITC 2007-3 Rene’s report on CCAA participation)

Comment on Rene’s report:

It is evident that the colour is better on CSITC 2007-3 than 2007-2 for Australian labs. However, there is still more improvement required. We are in the process of more HVI colour trials over the next couple of months. Certainly all other properties are well within tolerance for all labs which is encouraging.

We are hopeful that all CCAA labs will participate in CSITC round testing in 2008.