Location: Crop Germplasm Research
Project Number: 3091-21000-048-008-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2022
End Date: Mar 31, 2025
Objective:
The objective of this project is to maintain, distribute, and show the utility of cotton genetic resources available in the U.S. National Cotton Germplasm Collection. Maintenance activities will include seed regeneration and seed storage. Seed will be distributed to interested researchers upon request. These genetic resources will be used in research projects to show their utility to the cotton community.
Approach:
Seed increases will be performed throughout the year in the College Station greenhouse. During the summer months, seed increases will also be grown in the College Station field while during the winter months, seed increases will be grown in the tropical environment of the Cotton Winter Nursery in Liberia, Costa Rica. Manual selfing methods will be used to maximize seed yield and prevent outcrossing. Seed will be ginned, processed, and stored in the on-site seed vault from which seed requests will be distributed. These resources will be used in genetic studies to develop new cotton germplasm with increased genetic diversity and improved fiber and/or seed quality. Research methods will include laboratory and field experiments and proven statistical analyses to characterize and select for high quality germplasm.
