The Task Force on Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton (CSITC) with an active cooperation of the Bremen Fiber Institute (FIBER) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)- American Mathametics Society (AMS) has completed the Round Trial 3 with better results than ever before. It is headed by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

This again confirms the continuous trend towards better evaluations during the last years of the CSITC Round Trials. It also means that the variation of test results between the instruments is this time lower by 30 per cent than it typically was from 2007 to 2011.

It’s good news that all participating laboratories are benefiting from their participation in the CSITC Round Trials and improving their performance. One hundred six (106) testing facilities within more than 30 countries participating with their cotton classification instruments in this Round Trial are located in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.

It so happens that four samples are sent to each participant laboratory an equal number of times a year. These are tested on their instruments. Based on the Accuracy for Micronaire, Strength, Length, Length Uniformity, Reflectance (Rd) and Yellowness (+b), an Overall Evaluation Grade is given for each instrument which confirms the participants’ ability to provide reproducible test results that are based on the established international standards.