An update on conventional and molecular breeding approaches for improving fiber quality traits in cotton - A review

The cultivated Gossypium spp. represents the most important, natural fibre crop in the world. India is the only country cultivating all the four cultivated species of cotton. Among the Gossypium spp., Gossypium hirsutum is the most cultivated species in many countries. Breeding for high cotton yield is still the primary goal of cotton breeding programs, but improving fibre quality has become increasingly important. The enhancement of fibre quality traits like fibre length, strength, and fibre fineness is an essential requirement for the modern textile industry. G. hirsutum is characterized by its high lint yield while Gossypium barbadense has good fibre quality. Through a conventional breeding strategy, introgression of useful alleles for fibre quality from wild species and G. barbadense to G. hirsutum will be the effective way to improve the fibre quality traits. The identification of the stable quantitative trailt loci (QTLs) affecting fiber traits across different generations will be very helpful in molecular marker-assisted selection to improve fiber quality of cotton cultivars. In this review, we present an overview of the genetics and conventional and molecular breeding techniques that have been used to increase the favorable fibre quality traits in cotton.Keywords: Cotton, fibre quality traits, simple sequence repeat (SSR), restricted fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), quantitative trait loci (QTLs)African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 13(10), pp. 1097-1108, 5 March, 201

Gene Action and Useful Heterosis in Interspesific Cotton Crosses (Gossypium hirsutum L. x Gossypium barbadense L.)

Conducted the breeding researches with interspecific cotton crosses are aimed to obtain genotypes have desired fiber characteristics like Gossypium barbadense L. and have high yields potential like Gossypium hirsutum L.. In this study, gene action and useful heterosis were investigated for fiber quality and yield traits in interspecific cotton crosses. The 12 F1’s and their parents were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications at the Nazilli Cotton Research Institute’s fields during 2011 and 2012 cotton growing season. Claudia, Candia, Sahin 2000, BA 308, Naz 07 and Fantom (Gossypium hirsutum L.) were used as a female parents and Giza 45 and Avesto (Gossypium barbadense L.) used as a male parents. Non-additive gene effects for yields, fiber strength and fiber length were greater than additive gene effects. The useful heterosis were positively significant for fiber strength and fiber length. Candia x Giza 45 hybrid was promising hybrid for all observed characters

Estimation of Gene Action, Heritability and Pattern of Association among Different Yield Related Traits in Upland Cotton

A random mating design comprising 6 varieties (FH-142, MS-DK, IUB-63, KZ-189, FB-3159, and VH-300) and F1 crosses was used to check gene action for yield contributing traits in upland cotton. Heritability and correlation were calculated from F3 populations of the cross CRS-456times%253BJumbo okra. The randomized complete block design was used in both experiments with three replication at the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan during 2015-2017. In both experiments, analysis of variance indicated significant variation present among the accessions of the upland cotton for all the traits (plant height, sympodial and monopodial branches, nodes number of 1st sympodial branch, height of 1st sympodial branch, bolls per plant, boll weight, lint weight, seed cotton yield, seed index, lint percentage, lint index, seeds per boll, fiber fineness, fiber strength, fiber length and fiber uniformity) under study. Mean values of all genotypes were significantly different from each other for all the traits studied. All the parameters manifested positive correlation with seed cotton yield except plant height, monopodia per plant, nodes number of 1st sympodia, height of 1st sympodia, bolls per plant, seed index and lint index. The inheritance of all the traits in F1 crosses was generally controlled by overdominance gene action except monopodial branches, nodes number of 1st sympodial branch, height of 1st sympodial branches, boll weight, fiber length and fiber uniformity that were partially controlled under additive gene action. Epistasis was not found to be involved in any of the traits. Estimation of broad sense heritability (h2 b. s) in F3 populations were high (60-97%25) for all the traits under study. Results suggested form heritability and correlation that these traits can be improved either through appropriate selection method or hybrid breeding programme

Developmental features of cotton fibre middle lamellae in relation to cell adhesion and cell detachment in cultivars with distinct fibre qualities.

Background: Cotton fibre quality traits such as fibre length, strength, and degree of maturation are determined by genotype and environment during the sequential phases of cotton fibre development (cell elongation, transition to secondary cell wall construction and cellulose deposition). The cotton fibre middle lamella (CFML) is crucial for both cell adhesion and detachment processes occurring during fibre development. To explore the relationship between fibre quality and the pace at which cotton fibres develop, a structural and compositional analysis of the CFML was carried out in several cultivars with different fibre properties belonging to four commercial species: Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. herbaceum and G. arboreum. Results: Cotton fibre cell adhesion, through the cotton fibre middle lamella (CFML), is a developmentally regulated process determined by genotype. The CFML is composed of de-esterified homogalacturonan, xyloglucan and arabinan in all four fibre-producing cotton species: G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. herbaceum and G. arboreum. Conspicuous paired cell wall bulges are a feature of the CFML of two G. hirsutum cultivars from the onset of fibre cell wall detachment to the start of secondary cell wall deposition. Xyloglucan is abundant in the cell wall bulges and in later stages pectic arabinan is absent from these regions. Conclusions: The CFML of cotton fibres is re-structured during the transition phase. Paired cell wall bulges, rich in xyloglucan, are significantly more evident in the G. hirsutum cultivars than in other cotton species

Generation mean analysis study for qualitative and quantitative traits in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Gene effects for six quantitative and two quality traits were estimated from two upland cotton crosses through generation mean analysis from 6 generations (P1 , P2 , F1 , F2 , BC1 and BC2 ). Results revealed that the dominant gene action was observed in the majority of the traits. The traits, plant height, number of sympodial branches per plant, number of bolls per plant, seed cotton yield per plant, ginning percentage and micronaire value possessed opposite signs of [h] and [l] indicating the role of duplicate gene action controlling the traits which will pose a hindrance to a plant breeder while attempting selection in long run. Therefore, heterosis breeding would be advantageous and none of the studied traits were found to be controlled by the complementary type of interaction. Epistatic gene interactions also showed a significant role in the inheritance of all characters in one or another cross. Both additive and dominant genetic interactions with inter-allelic interactions should be taken into account for varietal improvement, which is the main breeding objective. Reciprocal recurrent bi-parental mating methods would break the undesirable effects

Assessment of heterotic potential and association analysis in direct and reciprocal hybrids for seed cotton yield and fiber quality traits involving lintless – fuzzless genotypes in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum. L)

The present investigation focused on studying heterosis for yield and fibre quality traits among nine parents and their 36 hybrids developed through hybridization between six elite varieties as females and three fuzzless genotypes as pollen parent, along with their reciprocal crosses. Analysis of variance indicated the presence of substantial variability among the experimental materials for yield and fibre quality traits. The study indicated that the direct cross-hybrids generated using elite cultivars as female parents performed better than the reciprocal hybrids. The hybrids CO17 / AKH98-81, CO17 / TCH1646, CO14 / TCH1646 and MCU 5 / AKH 98-81 had recorded significant positive heterosis for a majority of traits including seed cotton yield and fibre quality. An association analysis revealed that seed cotton yield exhibited a positive and highly significant correlation with number of sympodia, number of bolls, boll weight, lint index, ginning out turn and all fibre quality traits. The analysis of the direct effect of various traits on seed cotton yield revealed that the traits like number of bolls, boll weight, number of seeds per boll, ginning out turn, fibre length, fibre strength, uniformity index, micronaire value and elongation percentage had expressed very high positive direct effects

Heterosis in single cross inter and intra-specific hybrids of Desi cotton (Gossipium arboreum and G. herbaceaum) for their seed cotton yield, fibre quality and seed oil content

The present investigation was carried out to assess the expression of per se performance and heterotic effect for fibre quality and seed oil content besides seed cotton yield, studied involving ten desi cotton (Gossipium arboreum and G. herbaceaum) genotypes and their 45 cross combinations in half diallel analysis. F-1 hybrids GBhv-282 x G 27 (67.36%), GBhv- 287 x 824 (58.14%), GBhv- 282 x GAM- 173 (35.00%), GBhv- 286 x G 27 (20.50%), and GBhv- 283 x 824 (18.75%) recorded highest per se performance and significant positive standard heterosis while the maximum heterobeltiosis for seed cotton yield per plant was exhibited by the hybrid GBhv- 287 x 824(155.60 %) followed by GBhv- 282 x G 27 (151.29%) and GBhv- 282 x GAM- 173 (130.30%). Similar trend of heterosis for numbers of boll per plant were observed in above hybrids. For fibre quality traits none of the cross showed consistent high performance for all the characters. Cross GBhv- 283 x 824 was exhibited high standard heterosis for 2.5 % span length, fibre strength, fibre elongation percentage as well as for short fibre index (SFI) while cross GBhv- 286 x 824 were promising for 2.5 per cent span length, fibre strength and fibre fineness. In case of oil content intraarboreum crosses resulted as better crosses and among them cross combination 824 x GAM- 173 was best. Desi cotton hybrids are having lower fibre quality and yield. So, improvement for yield and fibre quality of diploid native varieties through heterosis breeding provided better hybrids for rainfed farming

Genetic analysis of yield components and fiber quality parameters in upland cotton

The experiment was laid to analyze genetic features, genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficients, path analysis with regression analysis among yield contributing traits in a selected F3 populations of upland cotton including parents. In this research experiment ANOVA showed significant difference among all individual plants in F3 populations. Monopodia per plant and bolls per plant possessed maximum value of PCV% and GCV%. Maximum broad sense heritability (≥ 90) was found in all recorded traits except seeds per boll, fiber length and lint percentage. Correlation studies revealed that Seed cotton yield positively correlated with all yield contributing traits i.e. plant height, monopodial branches per plant, Number of bolls per plant, boll weight, lint weight, seed index, lint index, seeds per boll, fiber fineness, fiber strength and fiber uniformity at both genotypic and phenotypic level whereas it depicted negative relationship with staple length. Path coefficient analysis showed that maximum direct positive effect was found of lint weight (2.6005) on seed cotton yield followed fiber fineness (1.2628), seed index (1.1449) and bolls per plant (1.0027). Regression study exhibited that maximum value of R2 for lint weight (0.9509) and boll weight (0.3735) depicted that 95.09% and 37.35% variation in the seed cotton yield, due to its relationship with lint weight and boll weight. It is concluded that there is a great genetic potential in F3 populations for mostly yield contributing traits for further enhancing yield. So those traits should be used as selection criteria during breeding for yield

To Estimates Heterosis and Heterobeltosis of Yield and Quality Traits in Upland Cotton

The research studies were carried out to enhance the incorporation of genes for high yield improved fibre quality endowed with disease resistant/ tolerance. The study was conducted at the experimental farm of the Nuclear Institute of Agriculture, Tando Jam, during 2009-10. Three cotton lines were crossed with two testers in line x tester pattern to draw genetic information. Result indicated that the crosses involving genotypes Okra, and NIA-Bt exhibited superior and positive heterosis over mid parent and heterobeltiosis over better parent for yield contributing characters such as sympodial branches and bolls per plant and seed cotton yield as well. This aims to develop new ideotypes/genetic stock endowed with high yield, improved fibre quality and resistant/ tolerance to CLCuV disease. Release of a variety and development of genetic stock for cross breeding programme are the main objectives of these studies. Key words: Cotton, Heterosis, Heterobeltiosis, Line x tester analysi

World Cotton Germplasm Resources

Preservation of plant germplasm resources is vitally important for mankind to supply food and product security in the globalization and technological advances of the 21st century. Mankind preserved a wealth of available genetic resources of many plant species worldwide. One of the such worldwide plant germplasm resources is available for cotton, a unique natural fiber producing cash crop for mankind. Worldwide cotton germplasm collections exist in Australia, Brazil, China, India, France, Pakistan, Turkey, Russia, United States of America, and Uzbekistan. The objective of World Cotton Germplasm Resources book is to present readers with updated information on existing cotton germplasm resources, highlighting detailed inventory, description, storage conditions, characterization and utilization as well as challenges and perspectives. This book should be a comprehensive encyclopedic reading source for plant research community and students to gather important information on worldwide cotton germplasm resources