Genetic basis of variation for lint color, yield, and quality in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract

Colored cotton produces naturally colored lint, which can help reduce the use of toxic dyes in textile. Four naturally colored lint accessions were crossed with eight white lint varieties of Gossypium hirsutum L. to study the genetic basis of variation of lint color, fiber yield, and quality traits. Various shades of lint appeared in the F₁ progenies and the inheritance of lint colors appeared to be controlled by dominant genes with varying degrees of dominance. There was also some indication for the involvement of maternal effects in the manifestation of lint colors. Additive and dominance genetic effects were involved in the inheritance of fiber traits, dominance effects being greater. The estimate of narrow sense heritability was very low for seed cotton yield and therefore direct selection for yield would not be effective in isolating superior genotypes. As non‐additive gene effects predominated in the inheritance of most fiber yield and quality characters, the development of colored cotton hybrids and recurrent crossing and selection would be useful for the genetic improvement of colored cottons.

Keywords:

• Colored cotton
• fiber protein
• seed index
• heritability
• NCM II
• staple length

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a research grant from the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan, which is gratefully acknowledged. Sincere thanks are due to Dr Prem Jauhar, USDA‐ARS, Northern Crop Science Laboratory, Fargo, ND, for critically going through the manuscript and making valuable suggestions.