Genetic parameters and path analysis of traits of upland cotton for the brazilian semi-arid region

Luiz Paulo de Carvalho,Paulo Eduardo Teodoro,Djayran Sobral Costa,José Jaime Vasconcelos Cavalcanti,Gérsia Gonçalves MELOde Melo,Francisco José Correa Farias,Diogo Gonçalves Neder,Filipe Cavalcanti Farias,Damião Ranieri Queiroz

doi:10.14393/bj-v35n6a2019-42408

Abstract

Upland cotton fiber is one of the most used natural fibers in the production of textile materials worldwide. For this reason, the selection of genotypes that meet the industry’s requirements is one of the main goals of cotton breeding programs. This study aimed to estimate the phenotypic and genotypic correlations among fiber traits and identify the direct and indirect effects of these traits on seed cotton yield of upland cotton genotypes in the semi-arid Brazilian Northeast. This study assessed 21 upland cotton genotypes from a complete diallel cross without reciprocals. The design was randomized blocks, with three replications and 21 treatments. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Patos - PB, in 2015. The statistical analysis consisted of analysis of variance by the F test, phenotypic and genotypic correlation analysis, and path analysis. The studied materials revealed genetic variability for all traits. Path analysis has shown that the traits fiber elongation, fiber strength, and fiber fineness have a direct positive effect on seed cotton yield.

Highlights

Upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants, and it is important for agriculture (VIDAL NETO; FREIRE, 2013)
Among the four species of the genus cultivated for fiber production, Gossypium hirsutum stands out for contributing with over 90% to the world’s fiber production (PENNA, 2009)
Vidal Neto and Freire (2013) state that the main product of the cotton plant is the fiber, which is composed of 94% of cellulose, marketed from intrinsic and extrinsic physical traits since the final quality of the cotton depends on these traits

Summary

Introduction

Upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants, and it is important for agriculture (VIDAL NETO; FREIRE, 2013). Vidal Neto and Freire (2013) state that the main product of the cotton plant is the fiber, which is composed of 94% of cellulose, marketed from intrinsic and extrinsic physical traits since the final quality of the cotton depends on these traits. According to these authors, intrinsic traits have a genetic control, are influenced by the environment, and are considered technological and quantified by the HVI device (High Volume Instruments). Genetic breeding of fiber quality depends on the exploitation and efficient use of available genetic resources (FARIAS et al 2016) In this context, cotton breeding programs seek similar objectives, such as improving yield (main trait) and fiber quality (FREIRE et al 2008)

Objectives

Methods

Results