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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305107
Title: Yield and fiber quality of five pairs of near-isogenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lines expressing the fuzzless/linted and fuzzy/linted seed phenotypes

Author
item Stetina, Salliana - Sally
item Turley, Rickie
item Bellaloui, Nacer
item Boykin Jr, James

Submitted to: Journal of Crop Improvement
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2014
Publication Date: 8/26/2014
Citation: Stetina, S.R., Turley, R.B., Bellaloui, N., Boykin Jr, J.C. 2014. Yield and fiber quality of five pairs of near-isogenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lines expressing the fuzzless/linted and fuzzy/linted seed Phenotypes. Journal of Crop Improvement. 28:680-699.

Interpretive Summary: Cotton typically produces long fibers called lint and short fibers called fuzz. In some cotton lines fuzz is not produced but lint fibers are longer, there are fewer short fibers, and there are fewer entangled fibers when the fiber is processed; all of these properties are desirable. However, fuzzless lines generally produce less lint. To examine whether improvements in fiber properties could be made through traditional breeding methods, a single fuzzless parent was used to pollinate five different fuzzy parents, and pairs of highly inbred fuzzy and fuzzless lines developed from each cross were compared in a field study. Because ginning methods can affect fiber properties, both saw and roller gins were used for processing. The fuzzless lines generally had longer and stronger fibers, lower immature fiber content, higher maturity ratios, reduced short fiber content, higher fineness and micronaire values, and lower lint percentages compared to their fuzzy counterparts. Longer fibers were found in saw ginned samples, and roller ginned samples had higher percentages of short fibers and fewer entangled fibers. The fuzzless lines developed had improved fiber properties useful to the cotton industry, but poor lint yield may limit their utility in breeding programs.

Technical Abstract: Fuzzless cotton often has traits desirable to the cotton industry, including longer fibers, reduced short fiber content, fewer neps, and improved ginning efficiency. This two-year field study described yield and fiber properties of five pairs of fuzzy and fuzzless near-isogenic lines, developed from fuzzless parent Gossypium hirsutum SA 243 crossed with five fuzzy seeded parents, and processed using saw or roller gins. Yield and fiber data were collected from a two-year field study. The fuzzless lines generally had longer and stronger fibers, lower immature fiber content, higher maturity ratios, reduced short fiber content, higher fineness and micronaire values, and lower lint percentages compared to their fuzzy counterparts. Longer fibers were found in saw ginned samples, and roller ginned samples had higher percentages of short fibers and fewer neps. The fuzzless lines had improved fiber properties useful to the cotton industry, but poor lint yields of only 7% to 14% in these lines limits their utility in breeding.