Utilization of Cotton Fiber Mutants in Pedigree Selection.

Our experience with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) has taught us that many traits can be improved with specific mutations. For the U.S. cotton industry to compete in International Markets, we need to develop cultivars with longer, stronger and more mature fibers. The narrow germplasm base of the upland cotton grown on the Texas High Plains, and the short growing season has historically limited fiber quality improvement. Chemical mutagenesis and subsequent selection have helped develop lines with improved fiber quality in genotypes adapted to this region. From 2003 to 2013, divergent fiber quality traits in mutant populations of TAM 94 L- 25 and Acala 1517-99 were selected for high and low levels of strength, length and micronaire. This past year, lines with different fiber quality traits were crossed with three commercial cultivars to initiate a pedigree selection for improved yield and fiber quality. Selected mutant lines ranged in fiber length from 1.00 to 1.36 inch fiber; fiber strength from 28.0 to 37.5 g/tex and fiber micronaire value from 3.0 to 5.0. The progeny derived from this experiment will hopefully allow the development of several germplasm lines with competitive yield and fiber quality. The use of mutagenesis in breeding program could potentially improve the International competitiveness of U.S grown cotton.