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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #409463
Research Project: Advancing Cotton Genetics and Innovative Cropping Systems for Improved Quality and Production

Location: Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research

Title: Development of high-yielding upland cotton genotypes with reduced regrowth after defoliation using a combination of molecular and conventional approaches

Author
item NAVEED, SALMAN - Clemson University
item JONES, MICHAEL - Clemson University
item Campbell, Benjamin - Todd
item RUSTGI, SACHIN - Clemson University

Submitted to: Genes
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/13/2023
Publication Date: 11/15/2023
Citation: Naveed, S., Jones, M.A., Campbell, B.T., Rustgi, S. 2023. Development of high-yielding upland cotton genotypes with reduced regrowth after defoliation using a combination of molecular and conventional approaches. Genes. 14(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14112081 .
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14112081

Interpretive Summary: Cotton is an economically important crop. However, the yield gain in cotton has stagnated over the years, likely due to its narrow genetic base. The growth habit of cotton is one of the crucial factors that determine crop maturation time, yield, and management. This study used 44 diverse Upland cotton genotypes to develop high-yielding cotton germplasm with reduced regrowth after defoliation and early maturity by altering its growth habit from perennial to somewhat annual. We selected eight top-scoring genotypes based on the gene expression analysis of five floral induction and meristem identity genes and used them to make genetic crosses in 30 different combinations of these genotypes. High-performance progeny lines were selected based on the phenotypic data collected over four years. Of the selected lines, six showed early maturity, and three showed clustered flowering, reduced regrowth, high fiber quality, and lint yield.

Technical Abstract: Cotton is an economically important crop. However, the yield gain in cotton has stagnated over the years, likely due to its narrow genetic base. The introgression of beneficial variations through conventional and molecular approaches has helped broaden its genetic base to some extent. The growth habit of cotton is one of the crucial factors that determine crop maturation time, yield, and management. This study used 44 diverse Upland cotton genotypes to develop high-yielding cotton germplasm with reduced regrowth after defoliation and early maturity by altering its growth habit from perennial to somewhat annual. We selected eight top-scoring genotypes based on the gene expression analysis of five floral induction and meristem identity genes (FT, SOC1, LFY, FUL, and AP1) and used them to make genetic crosses (a total of 587) in 30 different combinations of these genotypes. High-performance progeny lines were selected based on the phenotypic data collected over four years (2019 to 2022). Of the selected lines, 8x5-B3, 8x5-B4, 9x5-C1, 8x9-E2, 8x9-E3, and 39x5-H1 showed early maturity, and 20x37-K1, 20x37-K2, and 20x37-D1 showed clustered flowering, reduced regrowth, high fiber quality, and lint yield. In 2022, 15 advanced lines (F8/F7) from seven cross combinations were selected and sent for an increase to Costa Rica winter nursery to be used in advanced testing and releasing as germplasm lines. In addition to these genetic resources, we developed molecular resources to breed for annual growth habit, reduced regrowth after defoliation, and improved yield by converting eight expression-trait-associated SNP markers we identified earlier into a user-friendly allele-specific PCR-based assay and testing them on eight parental genotypes and an F2 population.