Selena – a new cotton variety

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study the productive potential and evaluate the fiber properties of the new Selena cotton variety. The variety was studied in competition variety trials conducted in 2017-2022 in the experimental field of the Field Crops Institute in the town of Chirpan. In the IASAS system the variety was tested in 2021-2022. It was approved as a new cotton variety in 2023. Selena variety was created by remote hybridization from the crossing of the allotetraploid Gossypium thurberi Tod. × Gossypium raimondii Ulbr. with Dorina variety and subsequent backcrossing with Darmi variety. Selena variety is an early and productive new cotton variety with improved fiber quality. The vegetation period was 106-111 days. In seed cotton yield of 1663 kg/ha, on average for 6 years, it surpassed the standard cultivar Chirpan-539 by 12.3%. According to the IASAS data, in seed cotton yield of 2163 kg/ha it exceeded the two standard cultivars, Chirpan-539 - by 2.2%, Avangard-264 - by 1.3%, the average standard (average of the two standards) - by 1.8%. In lint yield of 95.5 kg/ha Selena variety was equal to Avangard-264, surpassed Chirpan-539 by 2.9% and respectively the average standard - by 1.4%. Selena variety had a number of valuable technological fiber qualities and in some indicators surpassed both standard cultivars. Compared to the two standard cultivars it had better Spinning Consistency Index (SCI), greater Upper Half Mean Length and fiber strength, lower micronaire, better spectroscopy with RD difference reflection than Chirpan-539, less yellowness than Avangard-264 and better fiber whiteness. Selena variety combines better productivity with better technological fiber qualities than the standard cultivars, which defines it as a new achievement in the selection of cotton in our country.