Registration of CA 4007 cotton germplasm line for water-limited environment

Authors: DEVER, JANE - Texas A&M Agrilife; AYELE, ADDISSU - Texas A&M Agrilife; ZWONITZER, JOHN - Texas A&M Agrilife; KELLY, CAROL - Texas A&M Agrilife; Payton, Paxton; JONES, DON - Cotton, Inc

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2020
Publication Date: 2/28/2020
Citation: Dever, J., Ayele, A., Zwonitzer, J., Kelly, C., Payton, P.R., Jones, D. 2020. Registration of CA 4007 cotton germplasm line for water-limited environment. Journal of Plant Registrations. 14:49-56. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20034.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20034

Interpretive Summary: The Texas High Plains produces between 25 and 50% of the total U.S. cotton crop. This semi-arid production region receives less than 50 cm average annual rainfall and depends on the Ogallala Aquifer to support intensive crop production (including cotton) in the region. Irrigated crop hectarage has declined as water use has exceeded recharge, leading to continued depletion of the aquifer. Aquifer depletion, combined with increased energy costs associated with pumping water to the surface affect cotton production has resulted in a transition of large portions of this region to rain-grown production, which makes selection for drought tolerance a primary objective in cotton breeding. The objective of this research was to measure the productivity and yield quality of a number of cotton lines grown under a range of irrigated and rain-grown scenarios. One line, CA 4007, proved to produce superior fiber quality characteristics and increased yields across 3 growing seasons compared to other experimental lines and had similar yield traits to commercial varieties adapted to the Texas High Plains. As a breeding source for water-limited environment, CA 4007 germplasm has some important agronomic traits that could contribute to yield when compared with the currently available genetic sources, specifically relative boll retention under stress, fiber length, and fiber strength. CA 4007 is a good candidate to breed for improved yield and fiber quality when water is a limiting resource.

Technical Abstract: Increasing demands for irrigation and declining water availability are becoming critical issues in the primary cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growing area of the United States, the Texas High Plains. Developing breeding lines suitable for water-limited production is an important objective of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research cotton breeding program in Lubbock. CA 4007 cotton germplasm was derived from a 1993 cross of Verhalen V83-116 with CA 2159, informal historical releases developed by cotton breeding programs at Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Lubbock, respectively. Performance testing for yield, fiber quality, and other related agronomic properties was conducted in rainfed and irrigated conditions during 2007, 2008 and 2009 growing seasons. Based on yield performance and other agronomic properties, CA 4007 was included in experiments to test cotton genotypes’ response to moisture stress and its impact on yield, fiber quality, and other agronomic traits. Results indicate that CA 4007 produced improved yield and fiber quality under water-limited environments across several growing seasons when compared to commercial production check cultivars popular in the Texas High Plains.