Cotton Research Articles

Genome Sequence Resource of Cladosporium velox Strain C4 Causing Cotton Boll Disease in Xinjiang, China.

Cladosporium spp., as one of the largest and most heterogeneous genera of hyphomycetes, are widely distributed worldwide. This genus is usually adaptable to a wide variety of extreme environments. However, only 11 genomes of Cladosporium genus have been publicly released. From 2017, we found for the first time that Cladosporium velox could cause cotton boll disease and lead to stiffness and cracking boll in Xinjiang, China. Herein, we provide a high-quality reference genome for the C. velox strain C4 isolated from cotton boll in Xinjiang, China. The genome size and encoding gene number of the C. velox strain C4 and C. cucumerinum strain CCNX2, which was recently released and caused the cucumber scab, showed minor differences. This resource will contribute to future research that aims to elucidate the genetic basis of C. velox pathogenicity and could expand our knowledge of Cladosporium spp. genomic characteristics that will be valuable for the development of Cladosporium disease control measures.

Colonial education and the world market: The cotton school experiment in German Togo (1900–1914)

Critical research on colonial education should not only include the intentions of colonial actors, but also an awareness of possible learning outcomes that were intended or not intended by “the colonial masters”. The case study presented here explores the fate of an agricultural school located in Notsé (Togo) from its first ideas in 1900 until about 1914 (the end of German colonial rule in Togo). The main reason for setting up the “cotton school experiment” was to find ways of formalising the transfer of knowledge, competences and attitudes which were deemed necessary for the transformation of the local economy and society from a subsistence or household economy to capitalist modes of production. The history of this agricultural institution transcends colonial history between Germany and Togo, opening up a broader view of entanglements between the regional histories of Africa, Germany and the southern United States. The story begins with African Americans from Tuskegee in Alabama under the leadership of the African-American educationist Booker T. Washington, who were despatched to German Togo in 1900 in order to enhance local cash-crop style cotton production for the sake of the German cotton industry in Germany. It ends with the colonial government in Togo appointing German regional agricultural officers to consult and instruct local Togolese communities in cash-crop production as itinerant teachers.

Halogen-Free Waterborne Polymeric Hybrid Coatings for Improved Fire Retardancy of Textiles.

Wildfires are becoming more intense and more frequent, ravaging the habitations and ecosystems in their path. One solution to reducing the risk of damage to buildings and other structures during a fire event is the use of fire-retardant coatings that can stop or slow down the spread of flames, especially for textile materials. The present study focuses on the preparation and application of halogen-free boron/bentonite-based polymeric fire-retardant (FR) hybrid coating formulations for fabrics such as cotton (CO) and polyester (PE) fibers. For the preparation of FR composites, two types of boron derivatives, disodium octaborate and zinc borate, were used in combination with sodium bentonite. A styrene-acrylic copolymer was specifically synthesized and used as a coating binder for FR components to apply on fabrics. The properties of the synthesized copolymer and FR composites were characterized with a particle size analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, a dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and rheological measurements. The obtained hybrid composites based on styrene-acrylic copolymers and two different inorganic fillers were applied on cotton (CO) and polyester (PE) fabrics with a screen-printing technique, and the flame retardancy performance of the finished textile samples was investigated by means of flame spread and limit oxygen index (LOI) tests. The findings showed that the FR-composite-coated fabrics had higher LOI values and much decreased flame spread rates in comparison with uncoated ones. Among the boron derivatives, the composites prepared with disodium octaborate (FR-A) had much more pronounced LOI values and decreased flame spread behavior in comparison with the composite with zinc borate (FR-B). When compared to a commercial product, the FR-A composite, in conjunction with the specially synthesized polymer, demonstrated commendable fire retardancy performance and emerged as a promising candidate for a halogen-free waterborne fire-retardant coating for fabrics.

Unexplored agronomic, socioeconomic and policy domains for sustainable cotton production on small landholdings: a systematic review

Cotton productivity continues to be disputed, despite rapid advancements and widespread technologies. These uncertainties remain to be critically addressed in a broad spectrum focusing on domains at the global level. Therefore, this systematic review provides an overview of the existing advancements in knowledge, skills, and technologies for sustainable cotton production on small landholdings. Specifically, the areas of the cotton chain examined are threefold: - (1) Explore disguised agronomic practices to be endowed for sustainable cotton production on small landholdings; (2) Explore socioeconomic settings based on their disparities in contributing to sustainable cotton production on small landholdings; and (3) Explore existing and feasible institutional policies to be enforced for sustainable cotton production on small landholdings. This review shows that worldwide cotton production involves conventional and organic systems, at the expense of the traditional system. Heavy uses of nitrogenous fertilizers and pesticides are the common practices in conventional systems, with some adoptions of precision agriculture practices, and genetically modified varieties. Rotation and intercropping with early-maturing food crops are also identified viable options to improve farmers’ attitudes toward adopting cotton-producing technologies. In socioeconomics, farmers’ livelihoods are improved by income generation from sales of cotton and labour in the cotton industry. Gender equity in the cotton industry prioritizes females over males, as females display a group with a higher level of technology adoption. Generally, clear institutional policies governing the cotton industry are globally paucity. Furthermore, efforts to sensitize sustainable cotton production are still highly questionable and challenged by the superseding climate changes.

Chemical fertilizer reduction combined with organic fertilizer affects the soil microbial community and diversity and yield of cotton.

The soil microbial community plays an important role in modulating cotton soil fertility. However, the effects of chemical fertilizer combined with organic fertilizer on soil chemical properties, microbial community structure, and crop yield and quality in arid areas are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of different organic fertilizers on soil microbial community structure and diversity and cotton growth and yield. High-throughput sequencing was used to study the soil bacteria and fungi in different growth stages of cotton. The field fertilization experiment had five treatments. The results indicated that the treatments of chemical fertilizer reduction combined with organic fertilizer significantly increased soil available nitrogen and phosphorus in cotton field. There were significant differences in the abundance of the bacterial and fungal communities in the dominant phyla among the treatments. At the phyla level, there were not significantly different in the diversity of bacteria and fungi among treatments. There were significant differences in the composition and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities during the entire cotton growth period (p = 0.001). The rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community structure was significantly affected by soil TK, NH4+, AK, TP, AN, and NO3-. The different fertilization treatments strongly influenced the modular structure of the soil bacterial and fungal community co-occurrence network. A reduction in chemical fertilizer combined with organic fertilizer significantly improved cotton stem diameter and seed yield, and the effect of the biological organic fertilizer on plant growth and yield formation was greater than that of ordinary organic fertilizer. This study provide a scientific and technical basis for the establishment of environmentally friendly green fertilization technology for cotton in arid areas and the promotion of sustainable development of cotton industry.

Optimal row spacing configuration to improve cotton yield or quality is regulated by plant density and irrigation rate

ContextConventional high-density planting of machine-picked cotton in Xinjiang is associated with poor light distribution and low fiber quality. The objective of this study was to assess how different row spacing configurations, irrigation rates, and planting densities impact cotton photosynthetic production and fiber quality. MethodsWe conducted a 3-year field experiment in Shihezi, Xinjiang, China, to evaluate the impact of different row spacing configurations and irrigation amounts on cotton photosynthesis and fiber quality. The four row spacing configurations used were: RS66+10H (high-density with 66 +10 cm spacing), RS66+10L (low-density with 66 +10 cm spacing), RS76H (high-density with 76 cm spacing), and RS76L (low-density with 76 cm spacing). Additionally, two irrigation amounts were tested: MD-T3 (mulch drip irrigation with three tapes on one film) and MD-T2 (mulch drip irrigation with two tapes on one film). We measured and compared the distribution of cotton canopy leaves, light, canopy apparent photosynthesis, reproductive organs and fiber quality among these groups. ResultsThe results showed that RS66+10H had a higher lint yield than RS76L under MD-T2, with an increase of 5.4–7.1%. This can be attributed to the higher fraction of photosynthetically active radiation, canopy apparent photosynthesis (CAP), and boll biomass in RS66+10H between the full boll and boll opening stages. The maximum lint yield (3227–3580 kg ha−1) was obtained in RS66+10H under MD-T3. Interestingly, RS76L had a similar lint yield to RS66+10H under MD-T3, mainly due to the middle and lower canopy having higher leaf area index (LAI) values ranging from 1.8 to 2.1. This resulted in increased CAP and cotton boll biomass of the middle and lower canopy compared to RS66+10H during the full boll to boll opening stage. Under MD-T3, RS76L also exhibited longer fiber length in the middle and lower canopy (30.2–32.0 mm and 31.6–33.3 mm, respectively) compared to RS66+10H, with a difference of 3.2–3.8% and 5.6–6.5%. Furthermore, RS76L demonstrated higher fiber strength in the middle and lower canopy (31.4–32.7 cN tex−1 and 33.2–33.9 cN tex−1, respectively) compared to RS66+10H, with a difference of 2.6–6.2% and 5.9–6.8%. Maintaining an LAI of around 2.0 during the transition from full boll to boll opening stage optimized canopy architecture and enhanced photosynthetic productivity. ConclusionUnder adequate irrigation, RS76L could be a suitable replacement for RS66+10H in order to improve cotton fiber quality by optimizing leaf-boll spatial distribution. This study provides guidance for selecting the appropriate row spacing configuration under different water conditions. RS66+10H is recommended for increasing yield under water-deficient conditions, while RS76L is suitable for improving fiber quality under adequate irrigation.

Transgenerational effect of Afidopyropen on Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is the most devastating insect-pest in cotton crop. It is vector of the cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV) and is responsible for huge losses to cotton industry in Pakistan and worldwide. It is mainly controlled by insecticides but the injudicious use of insecticides has resulted in insecticide resistance and population resurgence in addition to various harmful effects on the humans, non-target organisms and the environment. Transgenerational studies are very helpful to choose a best insecticidal option. In the current study, age-stage two-sex life table analysis was used to identify transgenerational effects of sublethal doses of afidopyropen. The adults of B. tabaci were treated with three concentrations of afidopyropen i.e., LC10, LC30 and LC50. The results indicated significant changes in the progeny i.e. the fecundity decreased in treated population; and female and male longevity of their progeny were more in control as compared to treated populations. Similarly, population parameters like intrinsic rate of growth (r), net reproductive rate (R0) and limiting rate of growth (λ) were significantly decreased in the treated adult progeny with values of 0.08–0.11, 4.85–7.46 and 1.09–1.12 per day, respectively. Based on the reduced biotic potential, afidopyropen can be suggested as an effective alternative option for the management of B. tabaci.

Irrigation depth and nitrogen rate effects on seed cotton yield, fiber quality and water-nitrogen utilization efficiency in southern Xinjiang, China

Seed cotton yield and fiber quality are two primary factors that influence the international competitiveness of cotton. To enhance the water-nitrogen utilization efficiency and promote the sustainable cotton production, field experiments were performed in 2020 and 2021 to explore the effects of irrigation depth and nitrogen (N) fertilization rate on N uptake and distribution, seed cotton yield, fiber quality traits and water-nitrogen utilization efficiency in the Korla region of southern Xinjiang, China. Three irrigation depths (W1: 60% ETc, W2: 80% ETc, W3: 100% ETc; ETc was crop water consumption) and four N rates (N0: 0 kg ha−1, N200: 200 kg ha−1, N300: 300 kg ha−1, N400: 400 kg ha−1) were applied. The results showed irrigation depth and N rate significantly influenced N uptake and distribution in plant organs, seed cotton yield, crop water productivity (WP), partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN) and some fiber quality traits. Increasing irrigation depth improved plant height, leaf area index, aboveground dry matter and seed cotton yield, while increasing N rate increased and then declined these indicators. At the squaring and flowering stages, the N accumulation in all parts of cotton increased as irrigation depth and N rate increased, whereas it increased and then declined with increasing N rate at the boll-setting and harvesting stages. At the squaring and flowering stages, N was mainly accumulated in the leaves. As the growth period progressed, N was transported to bolls and the proportion of N content in leaves decreased. The proportion of N accumulation in cotton bolls was largest at the boll-setting and harvesting stages, and the N accumulation in plant organs followed the order of boll > leaf > stem > root. As irrigation depth increased, PFPN increased but WP decreased. As N rate increased, PFPN decreased but WP increased and then declined. The increases in N rate improved fiber quality. The maximum seed cotton yield (7578 kg ha−1 in 2020 and 7173 kg ha−1 in 2021) and greater WP, PFPN and fiber quality occurred in W3N300, which was recommended as a sustainable cotton production strategy in the Korla region of southern Xinjiang and elsewhere with similar environments to improve water-nitrogen utilization efficiency, seed cotton yield and alleviate soil nitrate pollution risk.

Вклад Фан Сяньтина в изучение проблем индустриализации Китая (1920-е – 1930-е гг.)

The article examines the history of the searches for China’s industrialization strategy in the writings of Fang Xianting. The experience of studying the history of the industrial development of England and the influence of the German historical school became important components of his understanding of China’s economic prospects in the first half of the 20th century. The starting point for the study of Chinese economy was Bücher’s classification of types of industrial organization in their historical evolution. Analysis of data collected by Fang Xianting on the socio-economic characteristics of a number of industries (carpet industry, cotton industry) made it possible to identify the obstacles to industrialization. The scholar recommended focusing on the development of rural industry while avoiding following the Western model of concentration of large enterprises in the cities. Rural industry needed no large investments, resources and sophisticated equipment, it could use the labor of peasants and was not under the control of foreign powers. Although China’s rural industry suffered from reduction in sales to foreign markets during the global crisis, Fang Xianting hoped for its revival and transformation into a driving force for industrialization. In the development of small-scale decentralized production, he saw the possibility of counteracting foreign dumping, preserving the family as a production unit and maintaining social stability. The scholar recommended developing a system of rural cooperatives that can protect the economic interests of producers and increase the competitiveness of Chinese goods. It is concluded that Fang Xianting’s research has become an important part of the advancement of Chinese economists towards a deeper understanding of the prospects of China’s industrialization that take into account national specifics. His research method combined the collection of objective economic information with the study of political, social and legal institutions for the sake of identifying the impact of industrialization on Chinese society. Emphasis on the priority of rural industry reveals the historical origins of the economic strategy in the initial stage of Chinese reforms in the 1980s that was aimed at improving the living standards of peasants through the development of rural industries.

Investigating Verticillium wilt occurrence in cotton and its risk management by the direct return of cotton plants infected with Verticillium dahliae to the field.

Verticillium wilt is one of the most crucial diseases caused by Verticillium dahliae that threatens the cotton industry. Statistical results showed that the return of cotton plants infected with V. dahliae to the field might be an essential cause of the continuous aggravation of cotton Verticillium wilt. The correlation among the cotton plants infected with V. dahliae returning to the field, the occurrence of Verticillium wilt, and the number of microsclerotia in rhizosphere soil need further investigation. A potted experiment was carried out to explore the effects of the direct return of cotton plants infected with Verticillium dahliae to the field on the subsequent growth and Verticillium wilt occurrence in cotton. As a risk response plan, we investigated the feasibility of returning dung-sand (i.e., insect excreta) to the field, the dung-sand was from the larvae of Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Cetoniidea) that were fed with the V. dahliae-infected cotton plants. The results demonstrated that the return of the entire cotton plants to the field presented a promotional effect on the growth and development of cotton, whereas the return of a single root stubble or cotton stalks had an inhibitive effect. The return of cotton stalks and root stubble infected with V. dahliae increased the risk and degree of Verticillium wilt occurrence. The disease index of Verticillium wilt occurrence in cotton was positively correlated with the number of microsclerotia in the rhizosphere soil. The disease index increased by 20.00%, and the number of soil microsclerotia increased by 8.37 fold in the treatment of returning root stubble infected with V. dahliae to the field. No Verticillium wilt microsclerotia were detected in the feed prepared from cotton stalks and root stubble fermented for more than 5 days or in the transformed dung-sand. There was no risk of inoculation with Verticillium wilt microsclerotia when the dung-sand was returned to the field. The indirect return of cotton plants infected with V. dahliae to the field by microorganism-insect systems is worthy of further exploration plan of the green prevention and control for Verticillium wilt and the sustainable development of the cotton industry.

Box-supervised dynamical instance segmentation for in-field cotton

Crop growing information is important for precision agriculture. Instance segmentation can be employed to extract not only the location and quantity information of objects from images, but also the individual phenotype information of each target. However, when it is applied on real in-field images, complex environment increases the cost of annotating. Besides, it is hard for instance segmentation network with complicated structure to be deployed in real application scenarios. To cost-efficiently extract data used for precision management from field images, this paper proposes a novel model based on dense prediction and conditionally parameterized convolution termed Box-supervised dynamical regression instance segmentation net(BDRISNet) for segmenting individuals from image in a simple way, using box-level supervision. By formulating segmentation into dense regression from each pixel to the location of its instance indicators, mask features can be generated without redundant convolution branch. The compact construction of proposed network achieves efficient inference for segmentation. Robustness and accuracy of proposed method are evaluated on an in-field cotton boll image dataset we provide. Comparison experiments with other state-of-the-arts demonstrate that our method has an average improvement of 3.13%, 5.55%, 7.08% in AP, AP50 and AP75. Furthermore, predictions of proposed method have desirable and balanced recall and precision.

Sowing the seeds of change: educating emerging textile and apparel professionals on sustainability from cotton industry perspective

PurposeThis study aims to promote sustainability-based education in fashion design and merchandising program to enhance students’ knowledge, skills and attitude about sustainability development, organizational responsibility and personal responsibility from the cotton industry perspective.Design/methodology/approachTo conduct this study, three learning components were considered: learning from experts, learning by doing and outreach activity. Sustainability-related topics were strategically incorporated in different courses for one year; project-based learning approach was adopted; and pre–posttest survey was conducted to study the impact of sustainability-based education on student learning outcome. Rand’s principles-attributes matrix was applied to analyze the impact of sustainable education on student learning outcomes.FindingsThe results of course projects indicated enhanced student’s abilities on using use different types of cotton materials in product development, creative use of cotton in visual merchandising and development of business plans focused on sustainability. The two-group mean comparisons showed a significant positive impact on students’ knowledge in cotton and sustainability, followed by students’ skills and attitudes.Originality/valueIn response to the lack of systematic approach to incorporate sustainability-related topics in textile and apparel design discipline, this study offered an opportunity to involve approximately 110 students in various sustainability-based teaching and learning projects.

Applications of Polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) in Organic Synthesis- Covering up to March 2022

Abstract: Based on the type of metal or non-metal catalyst used, the authors of this paper have clearly highlighted the different applications of air-stable, commercially viable, and environmentally friendly polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) in organic synthesis or other allied reactions. The importance of PMHS was emphasised for the particular organic transformation's success. In addition to its wellknown use as a reducing agent, it has also been demonstrated in a variety of other applications, including ring cleavage, the cotton industry, functional material for microfluidic chips, and the dehydroaromatization of bio-oils. The article tries to compile the most noteworthy cases of highly successful PMHS catalysis over the past two decades or so.

Mepiquat chloride increases Cry1Ac protein content by regulating the carbon and amino acid metabolism of Bt cotton under high temperature and drought stress

The effects of mepiquat chloride (DPC) on Cry1Ac protein contents in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton boll shells under high temperature and drought stress were investigated to provide a theoretical reference for Bt cotton breeding and high-yield and high-efficiency cotton cultivation. This study was undertaken on the Bt cotton cultivar ‘Sikang 3’ during the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons at Yangzhou University Farm, Yangzhou, China. The potted cotton plants were exposed to high temperature and drought stress, and 20 mg L−1 DPC and water (CK) were sprayed on cotton plants. Seven days after treatment, Cry1Ac protein content, α-ketoglutarate content, pyruvic acid content, glutamate synthase activity, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity, soluble protein content, and amino acid content were measured, and transcriptome sequencing was performed. DESeq was used for differential gene analysis. Under the DPC treatment, in contrast with the water treatment (CK), Cry1Ac protein content increased by 4.7-11.9%. α-Ketoglutarate content, pyruvic acid content, glutamate synthase activity, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity, soluble protein content, and amino acid content all increased. Transcriptome analysis revealed that there were 7542 upregulated genes and 10449 downregulated genes for DPC vs. CK. GO and KEGG analyses showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in biological processes, such as amino acid metabolism and carbon metabolism. Genes coding 6-phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, glutamic pyruvate transaminase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, glutamate synthase, 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, amino-acid N-acetyltransferase, and acetylornithine deacetylase were all significantly upregulated. DPC increased pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, and oxaloacetate by increasing the operating rate of the glycolytic pathway, the citric acid cycle. It also significantly up-regulated the genes encoding glutamate synthase and pyrrolidine-5-carboxylic acid dehydrogenase, and down-regulated the genes encoding glutamine synthetase as well as up-regulated the genes encoding glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and N-acetylglutamate synthetase. Therefore, the synthesis ability of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, pyruvate, and arginine was increased by DPC, and then Cry1Ac protein contents were increased by regulating carbon and amino acid metabolism.

Late nitrogen fertilization increases biomass of cotton bolls by reinforcing source[sbnd]sink performance

The decrease in reproductive organ biomass is a principal constraint for cotton yield under conditions of limited nitrogen (N). We aimed to alleviate this challenge by reasoning N applications in order to exploit the photosynthetic potential and improve the distribution of photosynthates. Cotton crops were grown in a two-year field experiment (2019–2020) under N-reduced cultivation (23.9 ×104 plants ha−1, 76 cm row spacing, and applied 240 kg N ha−1), N fertigated with five ratios at squaring (SQ): flowering to peak boll (FPB): late peak boll (LPB), i.e., 4:6:0 (N460), 3:6:1 (N361), 2:6:2 (N262, Control), 1:6:3 (N163) and 0:6:4 (N064). Impacts of N treatment (ratio) were investigated for leaf area, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic characteristics, photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE), sink capacity characteristics, and biomass accumulation. Correlations between traits were also analyzed. Compared with conventional N262, N064 increased reproduction organs biomass by 10.1–10.3%. Furthermore, during the LPB to boll opening stage, N064 increased fruit branch leaf area by 1.4–26.8%, chlorophyll content by 6.4–27.6%, net photosynthetic rate by 15.1–35.9%, actual photosynthetic efficiency by 14.4–41.6%, photochemical quenching by 18.0–57.7%, PNUE by 15.7–41.0%, and sink capacity by 6.7–10.5%; while it decreased foliage branch leaf area by 13.1–22.4% and chlorophyll a/b by 6.1–10.2%. Overall, late N fertilization was an effective strategy to (1) retain post-flowering photosynthetic capacity by developing more fruit branch leaf area with higher chlorophyll content and lower chlorophyll a/b, (2) optimize sourcesink relationship by increasing boll capacity, and (3) increase biomass in reproductive organs, thus enhancing sustainable and efficient production of cotton under N-reduced cultivation in arid regions.

Dynamic characteristics and functional analysis provide new insights into the role of GauERF105 for resistance against Verticillium dahliae in cotton

BackgroundThe cotton industry suffers significant yield losses annually due to Verticillium wilt, which is considered the most destructive disease affecting the crop. However, the precise mechanisms behind this disease in cotton remain largely unexplored.MethodsOur approach involved utilizing transcriptome data from G. australe which was exposed to Verticillium dahliae infection. From this data, we identified ethylene-responsive factors and further investigated their potential role in resistance through functional validations via Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in cotton and overexpression in Arabidopsis.ResultsA total of 23 ethylene response factors (ERFs) were identified and their expression was analyzed at different time intervals (24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-inoculation). Among them, GauERF105 was selected based on qRT-PCR expression analysis for further investigation. To demonstrate the significance of GauERF105, VIGS was utilized, revealing that suppressing GauERF105 leads to more severe infections in cotton plants compared to the wild-type. Additionally, the silenced plants exhibited reduced lignin deposition in the stems compared to the WT plants, indicating that the silencing of GauERF105 also impacts lignin content. The overexpression of GauERF105 in Arabidopsis confirmed its pivotal role in conferring resistance against Verticillium dahliae infection. Our results suggest that WT possesses higher levels of the oxidative stress markers MDA and H2O2 as compared to the overexpressed lines. In contrast, the activities of the antioxidant enzymes SOD and POD were higher in the overexpressed lines compared to the WT. Furthermore, DAB and trypan staining of the overexpressed lines suggested a greater impact of the disease in the wild-type compared to the transgenic lines.ConclusionsOur findings provide confirmation that GauERF105 is a crucial candidate in the defense mechanism of cotton against Verticillium dahliae invasion, and plays a pivotal role in this process. These results have the potential to facilitate the development of germplasm resistance in cotton.

Influence of the addition of different fillers on the properties of hybrid composite recycled polyethylene/cotton linter fibers/montmorillonite clay

Hybrid polymer composites have been proven to be an alternative to the conventional ones that use only one filler in the polymeric matrix. In this study, the effect of the addition of cotton linter fibers (CLF) and/or montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay as fillers in recycled polyethylene (PER) composites was evaluated with and without using maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE– g–MAH) as an interfacial compatibilizing agent. The presence of titanium dioxide (TiO2) used as a color additive was confirmed by the characterizations of PER. It was found that the rheological, morphological, and mechanical properties of PER were significantly altered by adding fillers, owing to the difference in shape and composition of these fillers. The results of the characterizations showed evidence of double or triple interaction with the reactive groups of PE– g–MAH and the hydroxyl (–OH) present in CLF, MMT, and TiO2.

Investigation of the moisture transfer ability and thermal comfort properties of single-layer cotton/polyester interwoven fabrics

In this paper, hydrophilic cotton (CO) yarn and hydrophobic cross-section polyester (PET) filaments were used to prepare single-layer interwoven fabrics (CO/PET fabrics) with plain, 3/1 twill, and 8/5 satin to formulate a hydrophobicity–hydrophilicity gradient across the fabric for obtaining a good water transfer ability. The CO fabrics and PET fabrics were prepared for comparison. The contact angle and thermo-physiology properties of the fabrics, including the wicking property, moisture management ability, drying property, air permeability and water vapor permeability, thermal property, and dynamic cooling property, were investigated. The results show that the asymmetric hydrophobicity–hydrophilicity characteristic can be formed across CO/PET fabric with 3/1 twill and 8/5 satin. This can improve the water transfer ability from the inside to the outside of the fabrics, and the longer the floating length of the fabric is, the stronger the water transfer ability is. These two fabrics also exhibit excellent wicking properties, overall moisture management capability, and thermal comfort, and have good permeability, drying properties, and dynamic cooling properties compared to the corresponding fabrics. As a result, these two CO/PET interwoven textiles are more suitable for application as clothes worn in summer. The interweaving technique combining hydrophilic and hydrophobic yarns is an easy and cost-effective method to prepare fabrics that meet summer requirements. This work provides insight into the thermal and moisture comfort property of interwoven fabrics for summer garments.

Is ‘pupae busting’ or destroying overwintering pupae of Helicoverpa spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) still relevant today in Australian Bt cotton?

AbstractTransgenic Bt cotton was developed to control lepidopteran pests like the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera. However, there was concern that H. armigera would develop resistance to Bt cotton as this species had developed resistance to many insecticides and Bt toxins. To counter resistance, the cotton industry developed a resistance management plan (RMP) that included techniques to block resistant genes surviving from one season to the next (seasonal quarantining). One such technique is pupae busting, where cotton fields are cultivated after harvest, destroying potentially resistant pupating Helicoverpa spp. While pupae busting was important when there was only one insecticidal gene in Bt cotton, is it still relevant now Bt cotton has three insecticidal Bt genes? To address this question, we reviewed the development of pupae busting as a tool and its role in the current RMP. This included examining the ecology and behavioural characteristics of Helicoverpa spp. that impact on pupae busting efficacy (e.g., diapause, pupal mortality and pupae depth); the effect of soil type and different tillage techniques on pupae busting efficacy; and pupae busting within the context of Australia's current cotton farming system. We also looked at alternative forms of seasonal quarantining, such as using bisexual attract‐and‐kill techniques against adults. We confirmed that soil for pupae busting needs to be checked for moisture, which ideally should be less than the soil plastic limit. Comparisons between reports indicated that under good conditions, ‘go‐devils’ and chisel ploughs were excellent pupae busters. While a bisexual attract‐and‐kill strategy of late season moths has a place within the industry, pupae busting is still the best method in seasonal quarantining and has a good fit within the modern cotton industry, particularly given differences in the biology and ecology of H. armigera and H. punctigera, and the presence of dominant resistance to Bt toxins by H. armigera in China.

Efficient cotton population photosynthetic production synergistically increases seedcotton yield and fiber quality through straw incorporation with appropriate nitrogen fertilization in wheat-cotton rotation system

ContextStraw incorporation with appropriate nitrogen (N) fertilization could increase seedcotton yield, but it is unknown whether and how straw incorporation with N fertilization can synergistically improve seedcotton yield and fiber quality. ObjectiveContinuous years of positioning field wheat-cotton double cropping experiments were conducted from 2015 to 2021 to investigate the effects of straw incorporation and N fertilization on seedcotton yield and fiber quality. MethodsFour N rates (0, 75, 150 and 300 kg N ha−1) and two straw managements (wheat-cotton straw incorporation and straw removal i.e. CK) were used as experimental treatments. The canopy photosyhthetic capacity, biomass, seedcotton yield and fiber quality were measured. Meanwhile, the dynamics of cotton square nuber and boll number during the efficient photo-thermal periods (approximately from 25th July to 30th August) were monitored. ResultsIn the study from 2019 to 2021, the canopy apparent photosynthesis rate, leaf area index and chlorophyll relative content increased with straw incorporation and increasing N rates. The maximum daily square appearance rate of 6.9 × 104 no. ha−1 and the maximum daily boll setting rate of 3.4 × 104 no. ha−1 during the efficient photo-thermal periods were obtained under straw incorporation with 150 kg N ha−1. Where the maximum boll setting ratio and boll weight ratio were observed. Straw incorporation with 150 kg N ha−1 also produced the maximum boll number (87.3–98.1 × 104 no. ha−1), seedcotton yield (3998–4544 kg ha−1) and the longest fiber length of 30.3–31.2 mm across from 2019 to 2021, and the strongest fiber strength and the lowest micronaire in 2019 and 2020. The results of 13CO2 feeding to cotton plants in 2019 and 2020 showed that straw incorporation promoted 13C allocation into cotton fiber and the maximum cotton fiber 13C proportion appeared under straw incorporation with 150 kg N ha−1. Besides, straw incorporation and increasing N rates increased seed hull 13C proportion for fiber development. In addition, long-term straw incorporation could reduce chemical N fertilizer by approximatly 30% from 150 kg N ha−1 to achieve the seedcotton yield under 150 kg N ha−1 without significant influence on fiber quality. ConclusionIn wheat-cotton rotation system, straw incorporation with a 30% reduction from 150 kg N ha−1 was appropriate to increasing seedcotton yield and fiber quality synergistically by improving canopy photosynthetic capacity, increasing cotton square and boll number during the efficient photo-thermal period, and optimizing photosynthate allocation in cotton boll.