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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #353608
Research Project: Cotton-based Nonwovens

Location: Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research

Title: Genetic control of flame retardancy in white lint cotton (gossypium hirsutum)

Author
item Hinchliffe, Doug
item Thyssen, Gregory
item Condon, Brian
item McCarty Jr, Jack
item Jenkins, Johnie
item Fang, David
item Zeng, Linghe
item Campbell, Benjamin
item Sui, Ruixiu
item Madison, Crista
item Reynolds, Michael

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Varieties of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) exhibit differences in fiber combustion properties and flame retardancy (FR) as measured by microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) and standardized flammability testing. Some naturally colored brown lint cotton lines produce fibers that can create self-extinguishing textiles. However, it is not known if there is a genetic component to the variance in FR among white lint cotton varieties. Here we report the discovery of a cotton line that produces self-extinguishing white cotton fibers. We screened for enhanced fiber FR characteristics in 275 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cotton multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) population. The genomes of all 550 RILs and their eleven parents were sequenced, yielding more than 500,000 segregating polymorphisms. Two independent genetic loci on chromosomes A03 and A05 were identified by a genome wide association study (GWAS) as potential FR quantitative trait loci (QTLs). The markers successfully predicted FR characteristics of fibers from the untested RILs. Nonwoven fabrics were produced from fibers of RILs with the putative FR QTLs and were subjected to standardized flammability testing. Remarkably, the fabrics from these select RILs self-extinguished whereas the fabrics produced from typical fibers were rapidly and completely consumed by open flame. This study demonstrates the power of transgressive segregation in MAGIC populations since none of the eleven parents are self-extinguishing, and is the first to report the use of a MAGIC population to select for enhanced non-traditional cotton fiber properties. Fabrics produced from genetically enhanced FR fibers may reduce the quantity of chemicals required to produce fire-safe textiles.