Registration of 17 upland cotton germplasm lines with improved resistance to Fusarium wilt race 4 and good fiber quality

Authors: Ulloa, Mauricio; HUTMACHER, ROBERT - University Of California, Davis; ZHANG, JINFA - New Mexico State University; SCHRAMM, TARILEE - University Of California, Davis; ROBERTS, PHILIP - University Of California; ELLIS, MARGARET - California State University; DEVER, JANE - Texas A&M Agrilife; WHEELER, TERRY - Texas A&M Agrilife; Witt, Travis; SANOGO, SOUM - New Mexico State University; HAGUE, STEVE - Texas A&M Agrilife; KEELY, MARK - University Of California, Davis; ARCE, JOEL - Texas A&M Agrilife; ANGELES, JORGE - University Of California, Davis; HAKE, KATER - Cotton, Inc; Payton, Paxton

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Germplasm Registration
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2022
Publication Date: 11/25/2022
Citation: Ulloa, M., Hutmacher, R.B., Zhang, J., Schramm, T., Roberts, P.A., Ellis, M.L., Dever, J.K., Wheeler, T.A., Witt, T.W., Sanogo, S., Hague, S., Keely, M.P., Arce, J., Angeles, J., Hake, K., Payton, P.R. 2022. Registration of 17 upland cotton germplasm lines with improved resistance to Fusarium wilt race 4 and good fiber quality. Journal of Plant Registrations. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20258.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20258

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium wilt (FOV4), a soil-borne fungal disease in cotton, devasted cotton production in California during the past decades. Recently, this pathogen was identified southeastern New Mexico and southwestern Texas and poses a threat to cotton production in these regions, as well as production on the High Plains of Texas, the largest Upland cotton producing region in the US. Historically, in regions where FOV4 persists, planting resistant Pima cotton varieties has been an effective and economical approach for dealing with this disease threat. Unfortunately, there are no commercial Upland varieties resistant to FOV4 in the US, to date. In this study, USDA-ARS and university cooperators released 17 Upland cotton lines (PSSJ-FRU01 – PSSJ-FRU17) with improved resistance to FOV4 and good fiber quality. The PSSJ-FRU01 – FRU17 line-series originated from crosses with parental lines known to possess moderate levels of FOV4 resistance. The lines were developed from six diverse cross-combinations using 10 parental lines with different genetic backgrounds. These lines showed improved resistance to FOV4 in both greenhouse and field trials. Further, these lines also showed good yield and comparable fiber quality in FOV4-infested fields compared to commercial varieties. The primary purpose for the release of the Upland PSSJ series is to provide cotton breeders with urgently needed sources for FOV4 resistance in Upland cotton. This is the first public Upland germplasm release derived from multiple cross-combinations, thereby increasing genetic diversity. All these lines will help to reduce the vulnerability of Upland cotton to this fungal pathogen and to advance efforts to broaden the genetic base which is critical to the Upland cotton industry.

Technical Abstract: With Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hansen) race 4 (FOV4) formally identified in proximity to the High Plains of west Texas - the largest Upland (Gossypium hirsutum L.) producing region in the United States-the need to develop cultivars resistant to FOV4 has become urgent. Currently, there are no commercial upland cultivars available claiming FOV4 resistance. Fusarium wilt race 4, a soil-borne fungus, has affected the cotton crop in the San Joaquin Valley of California for two decades. The primary purpose for the release of the upland PSSJ-FRU01–PSSJ-FRU17 (Reg. no. GP-110–GP-1126, PI 699966–PI 699982) germplasm lines is to provide cotton breeders with urgently needed sources for FOV4 resistance in upland cotton. The lines were derived from six different cross-combinations using 10 parental lines with different genetic backgrounds (e.g., ‘DES 920’ [PI 536522], ‘NM12Y1004’ [NuMex COT 15 GLS, PI 678371], ‘MARS ROSE CLUSTER’ [PI 528483], ‘AUBURN M’ [PI 529214], and ‘SA-3208’ [LIAO MIAN 7 HAO]). Several cycles of selection were applied to these developed lines based on an asymptomatic single plant selection after greenhouse FOV4 inoculations or infested field evaluations from F1 to F4. In 2019–2021 evaluations, germplasm lines showed enhanced resistance to FOV4 with significantly lower percentage mortality and vascular root staining as compared to resistant controls (‘Pima-S6’ and ‘PHY 881 RF’) and improved fiber strength and some long fibers. These released lines will help to reduce the vulnerability of upland cotton to this fungal pathogen and advance efforts to broaden the resistance genetic base which is critical for the upland cotton industry.