Fashion meets science: how advanced breeding approaches could revolutionize the textile industry

Abstract

Natural fibers have garnered considerable attention owing to their desirable textile properties and advantageous effects on human health. Nevertheless, natural fibers lag behind synthetic fibers in terms of both quality and yield, as these attributes are largely genetically determined. In this article, a comprehensive overview of the natural and synthetic fiber production landscape over the last 10 years is presented, with a particular focus on the role of scientific breeding techniques in improving fiber quality traits in key crops like cotton, hemp, ramie, and flax. Additionally, the article delves into cutting-edge genomics-assisted breeding techniques, including QTL mapping, genome-wide association studies, transgenesis, and genome editing, and their potential role in enhancing fiber quality traits in these crops. A user-friendly compendium of 11226 available QTLs and significant marker-trait associations derived from 136 studies, associated with diverse fiber quality traits in these crops is furnished. Furthermore, the potential applications of transcriptomics in these pivotal crops, elucidating the distinct genes implicated in augmenting fiber quality attributes are investigated. Additionally, information on 11257 candidate/characterized or cloned genes sourced from various studies, emphasizing their key role in the development of high-quality fiber crops is collated. Additionally, the review sheds light on the current progress of marker-assisted selection for fiber quality traits in each crop, providing detailed insights into improved cultivars released for different fiber crops. In conclusion, it is asserted that the application of modern breeding tools holds tremendous potential in catalyzing a transformative shift in the textile industry.

KEY POINTS

Natural fibers possess desirable properties, but they often lag behind synthetic fibers in terms of both quality and quantity. Genomic-assisted breeding has the potential to improve fiber quality traits in cotton, hemp, ramie, and flax. Utilizing available QTLs, marker-trait associations, and candidate genes can contribute to the development of superior fiber crops, underscoring the significance of advanced breeding tools.

Keywords:

• Natural fibers
• synthetic fibers
• fiber quality traits
• genomics
• integrated breeding approaches

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Minority Welfare Department, Government of Karnataka, India for providing MPhil and PhD fellowship to Santosh Gudi for his Ph.D. program at Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, India.

Author’s contributions

Conceptualization, SG; writing-original draft preparation, SG, PM, PA, RSRG, OPR, PH, PK, MT, PS, A, GS; writing-review, editing, and supervision, SG and DKS. All authors have read and agreed to this version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Relevant data are included in this paper and its associated Supplementary Information (SI).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.