BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Though many enjoy sleeping on cotton sheets, using cotton towels, and wearing cotton clothes, few are aware of the technology that makes these products possible.

“We started out with trailers and baskets to dump the cotton in the trailer,” said Westbrook Valley Cotton Gin Operator Joe Ferrara. “Then we went to modules, and now we’re with round bales. We’ve gone from probably a bale-and-a-half of cotton yield per acre to as much as three and four bales per acre.”

Round bale technology has helped increase both the yield and the efficiency of the harvest. In the past, the standard has been 12 to 15 bales per hour. Now many farmers are able to harvest anywhere from 25 to 30 bales in an hour.

“The goal is to get more efficient and faster to get their cotton to the wareh

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