Home Grown: High-tech tractors harvesting cotton just in time for produce season
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - In today's Home Grown, farmers are working more than 12 hours a days, seven days a week to harvest cotton off the field in time for winter produce season.
Planting started a little late because of freezing temperatures in February, but now it's time to get over 12,000 acres of cotton in Yuma County harvested.
These high-tech tractors will wrap the cotton which weighs anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 pounds.
The tractor has 3,000 spindles that sorts the plant, according to Jacob Ware, co-owner of D.V.B. Harvesting.
"The spindles are just a piece of metal which has little barbs on it, little fingers that are sharp, and as it goes around through the plant, they spin and they actually grabs the fibers of cotton and pull it off of the bowl," Ware explained.
This rotation crop gives the ground a break and can freshen up the soil ahead of the major winter season.
