Genetic improvement of fibre traits in diploid cotton (G. herbaceum L.) through interspecific hybridization using G. barbadense tetraploid species

Diploid cotton Gossypium herbaceum has wide adaptability and high degree of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.Development of diploid cotton varieties suitable for 40s count yarn will make them more remunerative to diploid cotton growers.In this regard a study on genetic introgression through inter-specific hybridization was initiated using G. barbadense tetraploidcotton to improve fiber strength of G. herbaceum cotton. Pedigree selection from F2 to F11 was practiced. These F11 lines wereevaluated at ARS, Dharwad Farm, during 2009-10 in Augmented Design-II. Observations on fiber traits, seed cotton yield andginning outturn were recorded and analysed using Windostat version 8.5. Seed cotton yield ranged from 801 to 3037 kg/ha with832.38 per cent GCV, 100 per cent heritability and 42.71 per cent genetic advance as per cent mean. Range for ginning outturnwas 20.70 to 42.50 per cent with 25 per cent heritability, 13.93 per cent GCV and 18.84 per cent genetic advance as per centmean. Recorded fibre strength was in the range of 15.42 to 20.67 g/tex with variability parameters like 10.36 per cent GCV, 86per cent heritability and 5.98 per cent genetic advance as per cent mean. The value for 2.5 % span length ranged from 23.87 to29.52 mm with 9.38 per cent GCV, 72 per cent heritability and 5.24 per cent genetic advance as per cent mean. The sevenselections PSCCOL-15, 30, 31, 32, 36, 53 and 62 recorded significantly higher seed cotton yield than DLSa-17 (1124 kg/ha) andsuperior fiber traits than DDhC-11 (17.10 g/tex, 24.00 mm) commercial diploid cotton varieties. These selections recorded 49 to125 per cent yield increase over DLSa-17. It indicates the possibility of improvement in both seed cotton yield and fibre qualitytraits of G. herbaceum cotton through inter-specific hybridization using tetraploid cotton G. barbadense as a donor parent.