Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Crop Science Research Laboratory » Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #176288
Title: EVALUATING AMERICAN AND CHINA COTTON CULTIVARS AND THEIR CROSSES FOR IMPROVEMENT

Author
item McCarty, Jack
item WU, JIXIANG - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
item Jenkins, Johnie
item GUO, XIANGMO - COTTON RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Submitted to: Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2005
Publication Date: 3/1/2005
Citation: McCarty Jr., J.C., Wu, J., Jenkins, J.N., Guo, X. 2005. Evaluating American and China cotton cultivars and their crosses for improvement. Cotton Science. 17:47-55.

Interpretive Summary: Crossing unrelated elite cotton cultivars may lead to improvements of agronomic and fiber traits. In this study American cultivars (Deltapine 90, Stoneville 474, and Sure-Grow 747) were crossed as female parents with China cultivars (CR 110 and 86-1). The five parents and six F2 and F3 hybrids were evaluated at Mississippi State, Mississippi for three years. Genetic statistical models were used for data analysis. Variance components, genetic effects, and genotypic values were calculated. Genetic effects were significant for most agronomic and fiber traits. China cultivars CR110 and 86-1 when used as parents may improve fiber fineness. CR110 and Deltapine 90 were good combiners for fiber length and fiber strength. Genetic predictions showed that: (1) Deltapine 90 crosses would improve lint yield in later generations, (2) The cross between CR110 and Stoneville 474 can be used to increase lint yield at early generation but may not be good for selection at later generations, (3) All crosses except Stoneville 474×CR110 provide the potential for yield improvement at later generations, (4) The cross between 86-1 and Sure-Grow 747 had higher fiber strength than the other crosses at both early and late generations, and (5) Considering genotypic values for lint yield and fiber traits, the cross Sure-Grow 747×86-1 can be used for yield improvement at early and late generations while fiber quality should remain acceptable. This study provides useful data on how diverse elite cultivars can be used to improve cotton yield and quality.

Technical Abstract: The use of elite cotton cultivars, Gossypium hirsutum L., in cotton breeding programs may lead to improvements of agronomic and fiber traits. In this study three American cultivars (Deltapine 90, Stoneville 474, and Sure-Grow 747) were used as female parents and crossed with two China cultivars (CR 110 and 86-1). The five parents and six F2 and F3 hybrids were evaluated at Mississippi State, Mississippi in field tests for three years. The additive, dominance, and additive × additive genetic models were used for data analysis. Variance components, genetic effects, and genotypic values were calculated. The results showed additive × additive epistatic effects were significant for most agronomic and fiber traits. China cultivars CR110 and 86-1 can be used as parents to improve fiber micronaire. CR110 and Deltapine 90 were good combiners for fiber length and fiber strength. Genetic predictions showed that: (1) Crosses with Deltapine 90 would improve lint yield in later generations, (2) The cross between CR110 and Stoneville 474 can be used to increase lint yield at early generation but may not be good for selection at later generations, (3) All crosses except Stoneville 474×CR110 provide the potential for yield improvement at later generations, (4) The cross between 86-1 and Sure-Grow 747 had higher fiber strength than the other crosses at both early and late generations, and (5) Considering genotypic values for lint yield and fiber traits, the cross Sure-Grow747×86-1 can be used for yield improvement at early and late generations while fiber quality should remain acceptable. This study provides useful data on how diverse cultivars may be used to improve cotton yield and quality.