Registration of ‘CIM‐496’ Cotton

Abstract

‘CIM‐496’ cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (Reg. No. CV‐125, PI 657627, Pak 024263) was developed by the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, Pakistan, and released in 2005 for general cultivation as a part of investigations oriented toward evolving high‐yielding cotton cultivars that are resistant to the cotton leaf curl virus disease (CLCuD). The cultivar was developed through crossing CIM‐425 with 755‐6/93. CIM‐496 was tested in multiple trials conducted by various public agencies, as well as by CCRI Multan. In varietal trials conducted for three successive normal cotton‐growing seasons (2000–2002) at three different sites, CIM‐496 outyielded significantly all the standard varieties included in the present study. In zonal trials arranged at 26 different sites, the seed cotton yield (SCY) of CIM‐496 was 11.1% and 9.8% more than checks ‘CIM‐473’ and ‘CIM‐499’, respectively. In the National Coordinated Varietal Trial (NCVT), CIM‐496 produced more SCY than the standards for two consecutive years (2003 and 2004). CIM‐496 is resistant to the Multan strain of CLCuD and also possesses a higher lint percentage compared with the existing commercial varieties. The commercial cultivation of this cultivar has substantially contributed in sustaining cotton production in Pakistan and can also be used as valuable genetic resource in future cotton breeding programs.