Results from CSITC's Round Trial Results Now Available

By Jim.Robinson|April 6, 2011

A total of 76 testing facilities have submitted results from 115 instruments as part of the 17th Round Trial, conducted during the first quarter of 2011 under the auspices of the Task Force on Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton (CSITC RT 2011-1). The typical inter-laboratory variations achieved by instrument testing, given as standard deviations, are listed in the accompanying chart.

Inter-laboratory variation for the color parameters of Rd and +b increased in 2010. However, the variations in this round trial were smaller, indicating that laboratory operators are able to utilize the detailed diagnostic information provided after each Round Trial in order to improve performance. Laboratories are given an overall ranking, as well as rankings for performance on each of the six parameters.

Results for each test center are confidential. Rankings are based on the results of each lab in coming closest to the mean (average) values for all laboratories participating in the Round Trial on all six parameters. The range of scores for the combined properties among the 115 instruments was 0.22 to 1.66 (a score of zero would be perfect), and the median overall evaluation of combined properties was 0.50.

Besides the 6 parameters for ranking, 4 additional parameters were evaluated for informational purposes:
• Short Fiber Index (SFI)
• Maturity
• Trash Area
• Trash Count

The inter-laboratory variations for the four experimental parameters are higher than for the six CSITC approved parameters. Therefore, laboratories are not evaluated on their ability to test for the new parameters. Nevertheless, information from the tests of the new parameters are reported on the CSITC Web site.