4-Bale Module Averaging Pilot Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What checks will be made before a 4-bale module will be averaged?
    • The 4 bales must have the same color grade (e.g. all 11, all 21, etc.) and must be in the following list: 11, 21, 31, 41, 12, 22, 32, or 42. 
    • The 4 bales must pass the outlier tolerances for all 8 quality factors (e.g. micronaire, strength, length, uniformity, color Rd, & +b, trash % area, and particle count).
    • The 4 bales all either have or don’t have Extraneous Matter.
      • When EM is called it must all be the same EM. In other words, if there are 3 bark calls and 1 plastic call, it will not average color and leaf.
    • If the above criteria checks pass, the 4-bales will be averaged and all will have the same quality data as the official quality measurements.
    • If the above criterial checks fail, the 4-bales will be averaged for micronaire, strength, length, and uniformity only.
       
  • What will the module number be on a 16-bale module submitted as “R” for 4-bale module averaging?
    • All 16 bales will have the same module number.
    • The program will separate the 16 bales into 4-bale units in ascending bale number order.
    • Each of the 4-bale units will be treated independently regarding the checks and outlier tolerances listed above.
       
  • How to determine if a Permanent Bale Identifier (PBI) is part of a 4-bale module average?
    • The current data record has the module type in column 21 (see below).  The number 3 will be added to signify this record is part of a 4-bale module and all 4 bales will have the same quality data for all measurements.

      Module, Trailer, or Single Bale (Column 21):  This one-digit code indicates whether the sample was outturned as a single bale or as a bale that was module/trailer averaged.

      Single bale = 0
      Module= 1
      Trailer= 2
      Round= 3
       
  • Can I review an entire module that was averaged as a 4-bale module (designated by 3 above)?
    • No, a 4-bale “R” module cannot be submitted as a module review.
    • Each bale can be reviewed independently with the individual data being reported for each bale.
       
  • What if the module has a bale missing?
    • If the module must be forced out of the system due to a missing bale (e.g. 15 of the 16, 3 of the 4, etc.), the entire module will be treated as a normal module “M” and only micronaire, strength, length, and uniformity will be examined for averaging.
       
  •  Will the 4-bale module average be reported on the Form-R?
    • Yes, the Form-R report will be modified to show an “R” for Round module if in fact the 4-bales were averaged for all factors.
       
  • Is the pilot program voluntary, and what is the commitment?
    • Yes, the pilot program is completely voluntary, and the commitment is module-by-module.  In other words, a customer may participate with one 4-bale module or submit multiples of 4-bales throughout the entire season.  The only requirements are that they must be in multiples of 4 up to a total of 48 bales, and they must have the same color and leaf grade.
       
  •  What if there are mixed color grades in the 4-bale module?
    • If this is the case, the data stream will have a “M” rather than a “R” or “X” for outlier.