Cotton Strains Research Articles

Optimization of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation conditions for efficient Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton transformation

Cotton is one of the world’s largest fiber-producing crops. It is also known as the important cash crop of Pakistan. Cotton crop products contribute to economy as cottonseed oil, animal feed and the fiber support the textile industries, thus, playing a significant role in uplifting the economy of a country. But over time, bollworm attacks had escalated, severely reducing the yield of cotton and damaging cotton production. Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton is being widely used nowadays due to its enhanced resistance against cotton bollworms which are responsible for reducing crop production leading to high economic loss. It greatly affects the economy by increasing the cost of production and protection. Using resistant strains of Bt cotton not only makes it easier to combat bollworm attacks but also reduces the substantial expense issues that farmers face. Bt has many toxic proteins among which the two crystal proteins, Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab, are used to develop resistance against bollworms in cotton. This study aimed to optimize the developing transgenic callus containing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab genes in cotton. The dual gene construct (Cry1Ac + Cry2Ab) provides more resistance to the cotton crop as compared to the single gene construct against whom the most bollworms have developed resistance. The vector was inoculated into the hypocotyl segments and the transformation process was preceded by shifting the hypocotyls at different mediums Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 was used for cotton transformation. The construct-containing vector was introduced into a standard cotton line. A molecular confirmation test was carried out utilizing PCR and gene-specific primers after the formation of the transgenic callus. As a result of the research an indigenous cotton line that expresses double Bt genes for insect resistance was developed.

ROLE OF ANTIOXIDENTS ACCUMULATION AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC STABILITY FOR SUSTAINABLE COTTON PRODUCTION AND FIBRE QUALITY UNDER WATER STRESS CONDITIONS

One of the significant steps in developing water stress-tolerant, climate-smart cotton genotypes is evaluating and screening available cultivated germplasm. The current study was designed to evaluate the elite cotton strains developed for release in drought-prone areas of Punjab and Pakistan. Twenty-four cotton strains, along with two check varieties BH-184 and FH-142 were sown under RCBD in triplicates. The plant-to-plant and row-to-row distances were maintained at 30 cm and 70 cm, respectively. The recommended dosage of fertilizers N-P-K @ 100-36-37 kgs per acre was applied to all the treatments in all replications. The results revealed the presence of highly significant variations among cotton strains for studied plant parameters in twenty-four cotton strains. Correlation analysis unveiled the presence of highly significant and positive correlation of seed cotton yield with nodes per plant (r = 0.988**), sympodia per plant (r = 0.987**), transpiration rate (r = 0.983**), flavonoids (r = 0.982**), net photosynthetic rate (r = 0.979**), peroxidases (r = 0.968**), superoxide dismutase (r = 0.968**), bolls per plant (r = 0.914**), plant height (r = 0.885**), monopodia per plant (r = 0.725**) and ginning out turn (r = 0.430**) while the significantly negative correlation with CLCuV occurrence percentage (r = -0.526**). Cluster, principal component, and biplot analysis classify cotton strains into groups based on their performance under water-stress conditions. The results from PC1/PC2 biplot also verified the results obtained through correlations and further revealed that transpiration rate, net photosynthetic rate, peroxidases, superoxide dismutase, plant height, flavonoids, sympodia per plant, and superoxide dismutase were the most divergent traits and must be considered in developing a scheme to develop heat-tolerant cotton genotypes.

GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF ELITE COTTON STRAINS FOR MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIO-CHEMICAL TRAITS UNDER HEAT STRESS CONDITIONS

One of the key steps in developing heat-tolerant, climate-smart cotton genotypes is evaluating and screening available cultivated germplasm. The current study was designed to evaluate the key cotton strains developed for release in heat-prone areas of Punjab and Pakistan. Thirteen cotton strains, along with check variety BH-184, were sown under randomized complete block design (RCBD) in triplicates. The plant-to-plant and row-to-row distances were maintained at 30 cm and 70 cm, respectively. The results revealed the presence of highly significant variations among cotton strains for studied plant traits in 13 cotton strains. Correlation analysis unveiled the presence of highly significant and positive correlation of seed cotton yield with net photosynthetic rate (r = 0.982**), total chlorophyll contents (r = 0.976**), superoxide dismutase (r = 0.966**), bolls per plant (r = 0.786**), nodes per plant (r = 0.683**), plant height (r = 0.653**) and sympodia per plant (r = 0.623**) while strong negative correlation with superoxide dismutase (r = -0.952**). Cluster, principal component and biplot analysis classify cotton strains into groups based on their performance under heat stress conditions. These analyses verified the results obtained through correlations and further revealed that net photosynthetic rate, total chlorophyll contents, superoxide dismutase, plant height and sympodia per plant and superoxide dismutase were the most divergent traits and must be considered in developing a scheme to develop heat-tolerant cotton genotypes.

STABILITY IN YIELD PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SELECTED COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum) GENOTYPES IN VARIABLE AGRO-ENVIRONMENTS

Yield constancy is a crucial characteristic for a variety to become popular among growers. To study this aspect, the present trial was carried out at seven locations in the cotton belt of Punjab during 2020-21. Twenty-five upland cotton strains from different breeding stations were tested along with the standard variety CIM-602. The main objective was to choose super-yielding plus stable strains. Maximum variability due to environments (65%) followed by GEI (22.8%) was observed. The first two interaction principal components (IPC) were squeezed with 72.3% of cumulative variability due to GEI. The analysis of additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) diagnosed AMMI5 as an appropriate model. Strain CKC-5 gave maximum mean yield (1812kg ha-1) and winner in all AMMI models. Test sites were split into two mega environments (ME). ENT7 (CRS Faisalabad) site was bearing the highest mean seed cotton yield of (2532kg ha-1) with the biggest (52.18) IPC1 score. The correlation between sites and IPC1 scores was (0.68) as recorded by AMMI analysis. AMMI1 ranks depicted that (PCI2) CIM-875 bears yield advantage of (29.09%) at ENT6 (Vehari) site over (trial winner strain CKC-5) due to micro adaptations. Genotype Selection Index (GSI) discriminated strain BS-J5 as yielder cum stable one with the least GSI value. Approval of this strain for general cultivation from the respective forum may boost cotton production in the province.

Physiological indicators of water metabolism in plants of parental forms and F1hybrids ofG. Barbadense L. cotton type under different water supply conditions

This article presents the findings of an extensive research endeavor aimed at comprehending the physiological intricacies of water metabolism in novel strains of fine-fiber cotton belonging to the species Gossypium barbadense L. These strains include L-2006, L-167, L-5440, L5445, L-1, L-10, L-663, and L-450, alongside the standard variety Surkhan14 and its F1 hybrids. The study was conducted under various water regime conditions to unravel the responses of these cotton genotypes to different levels of water availability. Upon analysis, it was discerned that the physiological parameters of water metabolism exhibited dynamic changes across the studied genotypes of fine-staple cotton. Specifically, when confronted with simulated soil drought conditions, the water content and transpiration intensity of leaves demonstrated varying degrees of reduction. This response was contingent upon the individual characteristics of each genotype. Furthermore, a noteworthy trend emerged: the water-retaining capacity of leaves displayed an increase under water stress conditions. This observed rise in water-retaining capacity in the leaves can be considered a vital physiological mechanism. It’s a mechanism that contributes to the adaptation of fine-staple cotton to water stress. These findings offer valuable insights into the strategies employed by fine-fiber cotton genotypes to cope with water scarcity. By shedding light on the interplay between physiological responses and water availability, this research provides a foundation for informed decision-making in cotton breeding, agricultural management practices, and the cultivation of drought-resistant cotton varieties.

Development and reproduction of Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Acari: Tetranychiae) on transgenic insect-resistant cotton plants

The effects of two insect-resistant transgenic cotton strains (transgenic Bt pest-resistant cotton Zhongkangza 5 and Lumianyan 23, transgenic Bt+CpTI pest-resistant cotton sGK958 and Zhongmiansuo 45) on the growth and reproduction of Tetranychus cinnabarinus was examined in comparison with non-transgenic cotton (K836) at 70% relative humidity and 30±0.5 ℃. The results showed that T. cinnabarinus fed on transgenic Bt cotton and transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton differed significantly from those on conventional cotton in development time of various stages. Furthermore, the development times of mites on transgenic Bt cotton and transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton were the same, but the development times of T. cinnabarinus fed on transgenic Bt pest-resistant cotton Zhongkangza 5 and Lumianyan 23 were different, as well as the development times of T. cinnabarinus fed on transgenic Bt+CpTI pest-resistant cotton sGK958 and Zhongmiansuo 45. The pre-oviposition period, oviposition period and the female mite life span were longer (1.44 d, 12.71 d, and 14.11 d respectively) on non-transgenic cotton than on transgenic cotton. The maximum fecundity was 75.61 eggs per female on non-transgenic cotton and the minimum fecundity (54.68 eggs per female) was observed in mites fed on sGK958. The net reproductive rate (R0) was the highest (55.000) on non-transgenic cotton, but was the smallest (37.219) on Zhongkangza 5. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was the highest (0.454) on non-transgenic cotton, but was the smallest (0.246) on Zhongkangza 5. The finite rate of increase (λ) was the highest (1.575) on non-transgenic cotton, but was the smallest (1.278) on Zhongkangza 5. The population doubling time (DT) was the shortest (1.526 d) on non-transgenic cotton, but was the longest (2.823 d) on Zhongkangza 5. The results of this study indicated the negative effects of transgenic cotton on the development and reproduction of T. cinnabarinus was significant: the larvae had the lowest survival rate after feeding on five kinds of cotton, while deutonymphs had the highest survival rate; the hatching rate and deutonymph survival rate of T. cinnabarinus fed on CK were the highest, while the hatching rate and larval survival rate of the sGK958 were the lowest. Transgenic insect-resistant cotton basically showed significant effects on the development period of each stage and the whole generation of T. cinnabarinus, but there were no significant differences between univalent transgenic Bt cotton and bivalent transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton.

Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia's Aral Sea Basin by Maya K. Peterson (review).

Reviewed by: Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia's Aral Sea Basin by Maya K. Peterson Marianne Kamp (bio) Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia's Aral Sea Basin By Maya K. Peterson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019. Pp. xxii + 399. The continuity of a vision for irrigation is on display in Peterson's Pipe Dreams, where the author's research reveals that Imperial Russia's dreams of constructing vast new systems of canals in Central Asia's arid lands found even more grandiose fulfillment when the Soviet government implemented its development plans. At times engineers and investors drew on indigenous Central Asian knowledge, but more frequently, top-down plans ran into material, social, economic, and natural obstacles. Peterson highlights three inherently contradictory goals that the Russian and Soviet governments pursued: turning Kyrgyz nomads into sedentary farmers, opening Central Asia to settlement by colonizers, and making Central Asia into the land of cotton. Starting in the 1860s, when Russia's geographers first set foot in the newly conquered lands, they imagined rerouting the lower reaches of the Amu River to reach the Caspian Sea and watering land that they saw as empty desert—believing it to be unused because it was not farmed. All that was required to make it useful was investment, expertise, and labor. A collection of diaries, reports, and letters to the Romanov Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich allows Peterson to examine the repeated failures and moderate successes of canal building through the Hungry Steppe between Bekabod and Jizzakh (in today's Uzbekistan), not only as a water-control project, but also through the lenses of the Russian peasants who settled there. The sources attest to the peasants' apparent gratitude to the Russian government, and they illustrate an innovative social experiment that combined indigenous Central Asian and colonizer labor to provide both groups with irrigable fields. Those human dimensions are Peterson's contribution to what was otherwise a small-scale water engineering project that has attracted historians' attention, from a 1927 account by V. V. Tsinzerling to Julia Obertreis's Imperial Desert Dreams (2017), primarily because of its abundant archival traces rather than because of any transformative dimensions. [End Page 1185] Competition between indigenous peoples and colonizers is abundantly evident in Peterson's wholly novel research on irrigation projects in the Chu River valley, near today's Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. As seen by Russian administrators, the lush grasslands that Kyrgyz herders apportioned through kin networks needed to be plowed and farmed to reach their productive capacity. Russian administrators crafted legal means to seize land, and settlers from Russia arrived in large numbers. Experts who designed the canal scheme were thwarted by lack of investment, so that the building project dragged on through World War I and into the Civil War years that followed the Russian Revolution. Project administrators recruited Uyghur and Dungan labor migrants from Xinjiang and contracted for prison labor, while Russians and Kyrgyz fought over land—the massacres inspiring the nascent Bolshevik government to restrict colonization. Pipe Dreams follows administrative visions for controlling water through a series of episodes from Imperial Russia to the Soviet years. In the 1890s, Russia's successful introduction of the highly productive American Upland strain of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) directed attention to the possibilities for expanding irrigation into dry lands; after the Revolution, increasing cotton production became the obsession of Soviet-era plans for Central Asia, to the detriment of grain growing and livestock husbandry. Soviet-style investment featured massive, highly publicized building projects, one of which was the 1930s Vakhshstroi in southern Tajikistan, whose goal was populating the Vakhsh valley with indigenous cotton growers. Archives reveal the abundant problems that beset this venture, which relied on attracting tens of thousands of laborers to resettle in the area, including labor turnover and hydrology engineering failures resulting in many years of missed targets. Unlike Vakhstroi—where Soviet engineers took pride in using heavy machinery despite being plagued by problems—the Grand Fergana Canal, as well as many subsequent large canals in Soviet Uzbekistan, was dug by several hundred thousand Uzbek peasants in a celebrated "people's construction" campaign, using what Peterson views as the most extreme degree of state...

Performance Stability Assessment in upland Cotton Strains throughout Cotton-growing Belt in Pakistan

Performance Stability Assessment in upland Cotton Strains throughout Cotton-growing Belt in Pakistan

Response of newly developed cotton strains for quantitative traits of upland cotton

The study was conducted to assess the twenty eight advance strains for yield and fiber traits. Significant difference was observed in all the genotypes for yield and fiber traits. On the basis of yield and its components, the advance strains CRIS-753, CRIS-797 and CRIS-697 found best for higher number of bolls and also given maximum seed cotton yield. Whereas, there fiber traits results are low, therefore, it is suggested that such varieties could be tested at different zones for the study and improvement in fiber traits. For the character staple length only two advance strains CRIS-795 and CRIS-753 could produce acceptable staple length above from the standard. The correlation results suggested that boll weight has positive association with seed cotton yield and ginning outturn, if boll weight will be increased ultimately yield and GOT in term of lint % in boll will be increased. Positive association of bolls plant-1 was noted with seed cotton yield, if the number of bolls will be increased or decreased, similarly seed cotton yield will also be increased or decreased. Regarding the fiber traits, staple length shown positive association with fiber strength and micronaire and fiber strength also shown positive association of micronaire value, it suggest that due to increase or decrease of one trait could affect on other trait.

Genome sequencing identified novel mechanisms underlying virescent mutation in upland cotton Gossypiuma hirsutum

BackgroundVirescent mutation broadly exists in plants and is an ideal experimental material to investigate regulatory mechanisms underlying chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis and plant growth. Up to date, the molecular mechanisms in two virescent mutations have been clarified in cottons (Gossypiuma hirsutum). A virescent mutation has been found in the cotton strain Sumian 22, and the underlying molecular mechanisms have been studied.MethodsThe virescent mutant and wild type (WT) of Sumian 22 were cross-bred, and the F1 population were self-pollinated to calculate the segregation ratio. Green and yellow leaves from F2 populations were subjected to genome sequencing and bulked-segregant analysis was performed to screen mutations. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were performed to identify genes in relations to chlorophyll synthesis. Intermediate products for chlorophyll synthesis were determined to validate the RT-qPCR results.ResultsThe segregation ratio of green and virescent plants in F2 population complied with 3:1. Compared with WT, a 0.34 Mb highly mutated interval was identified on the chromosome D10 in mutant, which contained 31 genes. Among them, only ABCI1 displayed significantly lower levels in mutant than in WT. Meanwhile, the contents of Mg-protoporphyrin IX, protochlorophyllide, chlorophyll a and b were all significantly lower in mutant than in WT, which were consistent with the inhibited levels of ABCI1. In addition, a mutation from A to T at the -317 bp position from the start codon of ABCI1 was observed in the genome sequence of mutant.ConclusionsInhibited transcription of ABCI1 might be the mechanism causing virescent mutation in Sumian 22 cotton, which reduced the transportation of protoporphyrin IX to plastid, and then inhibited Mg-protoporphyrin IX, Protochlorophyllide and finally chlorophyll synthesis. These results provided novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying virescent mutation in cotton.

STABILITY ANALYSIS FOR SEED COTTON YIELD OF NEWLY DEVELOPED UPLAND COTTON GENOTYPES

Sixteen newly evolved upland cotton strains developed through conventional and mutation breeding techniques along with two commercial check varieties viz., CIM-496 and CRIS-134 were evaluated two years at five locations in province of Sindh, Pakistan. Information was recorded on seed cotton yield from all location and analyzed statistically. To assess the stability for yield between genotypes and stomata studies was performed. The results from the combine analysis of variance depicted that the mean square for seed-cotton yield for genotypes and genotype x environment interaction (G × E) were highly significant. Genotypes NIA-M-30 showed the maximum seed cotton yield (3.509 ton/ha) with low regression coefficient (b=0.893) and deviation from regression coefficient (S2d=0.015). Other four genotypes viz., NIA-80, NIA-83, NIA-Bt-2 and NIA-Perkh also produced higher yield (3.36, 3.32, 3.31and 3.25 ton/ha respectively) with regression coefficient (b=0.972, 0.918, 0.99 and 0.916 respectively) and deviation from regression coefficient (S2d=0.025, 0.003, 0.00 and 0.024 respectively), indicated wide adaptability to the range of environments. While the cotton genotypes NIA-HM-327, NIA-84 and NIA-HM48 showed high regression coefficient (b= 1.204, 1.331 and 1.291 respectively), which suggest their specific adaptation to favourable environments.

Molecular analysis of structural genes involved in flavonoids biosynthesis in naturally colored cotton

AbstractIn order to facilitate the development of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) strains with colored fiber, the genetic and developmental control of flavonoids in fibers must be understood. The major goal of this study was to determine whether anthocyanidins accumulate in three different natural colored cotton fibers during their development, and to document the expression levels of flavonoid genes necessary for the production of anthocyanidins to determine if differences in expression levels reflect differences in anthocyanidin production. Most flavonoid structural genes were more highly expressed during fiber elongation than before the beginning of secondary cell wall formation. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses showed that the abundance of anthocyanidins was higher in brown fibers than in green or white fibers. Anthocyanidins were present at high levels in fibers, starting at 20 d post‐anthesis of fiber development, which is almost at the end of the fiber elongation stage. Brown cotton contains higher delphinidin levels than of green and white cotton. This pattern is consistent with greater expression of anthocyanin pathway genes in brown fibers. In naturally colored cotton, the enzyme Lar (leucoanthocyanidin reductase) converted leucoanthocyanidins to catechin, which are proanthocyanins (PAs) precursor subunits. It is suggested that failure to produce anthocyanins is likely due to a combination of insufficient expression of Ufgt (UDP‐glucose: flavonoid 3‐O‐glucosyltransferase) and high expression of Lar and Anr (anthocyanidin reductase).

Identification of exogenous ABA and heat stress tolerance in various cotton genotypes

AbstractCotton fibre yield and quality are markedly influenced by drought and high-temperature stress. We examined the traits of the leaf stomata in 39 cotton genotypes subjected to exogenous phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) signalling, electrolyte leakage under 40°C thermal stress, and relative GhHsfA, GhbZIP and GhHSP70 expression levels under two treatments. Stomatal density and area ranged from 66 to 182/mm2 and 663 to 1305 μm2, respectively. Under exogenous ABA signalling, the changes in stomatal aperture (ΔSAp) were in the range of 2.5–31.2%; ΔSAp and relative GhHsfA, GhbZIP and GhHSP70 expression levels were significantly correlated, respectively. Electrolyte leakage increased unequally among cotton genotypes after heat stress. The changes in electrolyte leakage (ΔEL) and relative GhHsfA, GhbZIP and GhHSP70 expression levels were very strongly correlated, respectively. Their relative expression levels could be used as references for the rapid identification of stress-tolerant cotton strains. Cluster analysis of the 39 cotton genotypes indicated that Xinluzao36, Shiyang1, shinong98-7 and Zhongmiansuo293 are heat- and drought-resistant. We integrated both analysis of physiological parameters and molecular methods to identify cotton varieties with the drought and heat tolerance, in order to provide a reference for the selection of materials and methods for the research and production of cotton.

Evaluation of high yielding candidate cotton genotypes tested in National Coordinated Varietal Trial at different locations of Sindh and Balochistan

The research was conducted during the two consecutive years 2018 and 2019; twenty eight (28) advance cotton strains were tested in national coordinated varietal trials (NCVT) at seven locations of Sindh and Balochistan. The results revealed highly significant difference among the varieties during both the years. On the basis of two years average performance only two candidate strains GH-Uhad and NIAB-135 showed their stability in yield performance during both the years. Therefore, it is recommended that top two high yielding varieties (GH-Uhad and NIAB-135) with stability in performance must be approved by the provincial seed council of Sindh and Balochistan to revive the cotton production of the provinces as well as national economy and not to waste/garbage this high yielding stuff and also suggested to cotton breeders utilization in hybridization/breeding program to evolve high yield variety.

AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INTEGRATED CONTROL PROGRAM OF COTTON CROPS IN GHARBIA GOVERNORATE

The Agricultural production in Egypt is considered one of the most important productive sectors in national production, where most of its products of importance for food security in Egypt, the value of pesticides used in Egyptian agriculture is about 347.2, 287.2, 346.4 million pounds at a rate estimated at 35.4%, 29.3%, 35.3% for each of the pesticides and indigenous and grass on respectively of the total value of agricultural pesticides amounting to 980.8 million pounds in 201.6 The problem of the study focuses on the evaluation of economic and environmental impact on integrated pest management which afflict the cotton crops in Gharbia Governorate. The study aims to measure the economic and environmental impact of the use of integrated pest control of the production of cotton crops in Gharbia Governorate. The study showed that the most important factors affecting the production of the cotton crop in the first category, with the study sample in Gharbia governorate 2016 are: the amount of human labor, the quantity of seeds, the value of biological resistance the total productive elasticity amounted to about 0.867 that means the declining productive relationship, and the value of the marginal product of those elements of about 87.0, 249.3, 873.5 pound / kantar respectively, while the unit price of the element reached about 42.19, 5.39, 50.0 pound/unit respectively. In the second category and it was discovered that the most important factors affecting the cotton production are: the mechanical caber (irrigation) , the quantity of seeds, chemical resistance Value and the productive elasticity total amounted to about 0.923, while the value of marginal product of those elements toward 317.4, 423.2, 270.65 pound/ kantar respectively, while the unit price of the element toward 24.53, 5.43, 100.07 pounds / respectively, which refers to the efficiency of those elements in the equation of cotton production in the second category of study. The Study showed that: the nominal protection coefficient of production requirement, outputs, biological resistance, and effective protection coefficient of the cotton crop in the study sample year 2016 reached about 0.88, 0.75, 0.83, 0.88, whereas the domestic relative competitive coefficient (DRC) reached about 0.62, this means there is relative competitive in cotton production in Egypt. The results of productive policy martin analysis for cotton crop year 2016, there is a negative impacts on the total feddan return, and added value. The study explained that the environmental impact of important pesticides used by farmers of cotton and potato crop in sampling study of traditional insecticides in Gharbia governorate, came in the first rank sbedoo and mankozub pesticide with the quantity of 0.29, 0.58 kg/ feddan with safety period of 20, 7 days respectively. As the pesticides developed comes in the first rank : marshal and police .m.f with the quantity of 0.84, 0.5 kg /feddan with safety period 7 , 3 days respectively, the two pesticides non-pollution to the environment, we conclude that the pesticides developed less harm to the environment than traditional insecticides. The recommendations 1- It is necessary to educate the farmers with pesticide damage to human, animal and plant health and the environment. 2- The expansion in the use of the biological resistance in order to increase the quality of cotton, on one hand, and reducing the cost of chemical resistance on the other hand, for keeping the general health. 3- It should be setting a program for training cotton farmers on optimum using for pesticides in the allowable limits worldwide for keeping the health of the human, plant and the environment. 4- The imposition of a tax on users of highly toxic pesticides, which contributes to the transformation of the farmers to use clean agriculture, or setting a low to crime the using no useful. 5- It should stimulate cotton farmers using pesticide at least scale and following the method of integrated control. 6- It is necessary to devise new cotton strains of high productivity and resistance to pests and supply the farmers with it and saved it for farmers to encourage them to increase the captivated area of cotton in Egypt.

Transgenic cotton expressing CYP392A4 double-stranded RNA decreases the reproductive ability of Tetranychus cinnabarinus.

As a polyphagous pest, Tetranychus cinnabarinus has the ability to overcome the defense of various hosts, and causes severe losses to various economically important crops. Since the interaction between pest and host plants is a valuable clue to investigate potential ways for pest management, we intend to identify the key genes of T. cinnabarinus for its adaption on cotton, then, with RNA interference (RNAi) and transgenic technology, construct a transgenic cotton strain to interfere with this process, and evaluate the effect of this method on the management of the mites. The difference of gene expression of T. cinnabarinus was analyzed when it was transferred to a new host (from cowpea to cotton) through high-throughput sequencing, and a number of differentially expressed genes involved in detoxification, digestion and specific processes during the development were classified. From them, a P450 gene CYP392A4 with high abundance and prominent over-expression on the cotton was selected as a candidate. With transgenic technology, cotton plants expressing double-stranded RNA of CYP392A4 were constructed. Feeding experiments showed that it can decrease the expression of the target gene, result in the reduction of reproductive ability of the mites, and the population of T. cinnabarinus showed an apparent fitness cost on the transgenic cotton. These results provide a new approach to restrict the development of mite population on the host. It is also a useful attempt to control piercing sucking pests through RNAi and transgenic technology.

Identification of stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for fiber quality traits across multiple environments in Gossypium hirsutum recombinant inbred line population.

BackgroundThe identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that are stable and consistent across multiple environments and populations plays an essential role in marker-assisted selection (MAS). In the present study, we used 28,861 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, which included 12,560 Gossypium raimondii (D genome) sequence-based SSR markers to identify polymorphism between two upland cotton strains 0–153 and sGK9708. A total of 851 polymorphic primers were finally selected and used to genotype 196 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) derived from a cross between 0 and 153 and sGK9708 and used to construct a linkage map. The RIL population was evaluated for fiber quality traits in six locations in China for five years. Stable QTLs identified in this intraspecific cross could be used in future cotton breeding program and with fewer obstacles.ResultsThe map covered a distance of 4,110 cM, which represents about 93.2 % of the upland cotton genome, and with an average distance of 5.2 cM between adjacent markers. We identified 165 QTLs for fiber quality traits, of which 47 QTLs were determined to be stable across multiple environments. Most of these QTLs aggregated into clusters with two or more traits. A total of 30 QTL clusters were identified which consisted of 103 QTLs. Sixteen clusters in the At sub-genome comprised 44 QTLs, whereas 14 clusters in the Dt sub-genome that included 59 QTLs for fiber quality were identified. Four chromosomes, including chromosome 4 (c4), c7, c14, and c25 were rich in clusters harboring 5, 4, 5, and 6 clusters respectively. A meta-analysis was performed using Biomercator V4.2 to integrate QTLs from 11 environmental datasets on the RIL populations of the above mentioned parents and previous QTL reports. Among the 165 identified QTLs, 90 were identified as common QTLs, whereas the remaining 75 QTLs were determined to be novel QTLs. The broad sense heritability estimates of fiber quality traits were high for fiber length (0.93), fiber strength (0.92), fiber micronaire (0.85), and fiber uniformity (0.80), but low for fiber elongation (0.27). Meta-clusters on c4, c7, c14 and c25 were identified as stable QTL clusters and were considered more valuable in MAS for the improvement of fiber quality of upland cotton.ConclusionMultiple environmental evaluations of an intraspecific RIL population were conducted to identify stable QTLs. Meta-QTL analyses identified a common chromosomal region that plays an important role in fiber development. Therefore, QTLs identified in the present study are an ideal candidate for MAS in cotton breeding programs to improve fiber quality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2560-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluation of Innovative Cotton Genotypes Against Insect Pest Prevalence, Fiber Trait, Economic Yield and Virus Incidence in Pakistan

Abstract Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is known as important commodity globally. The experiment was conducted at Cotton Research Station, Multan, Punjab-Pakistan, to evaluate resistance of nine innovative cotton cultivars against insect pest complex were used along with their fiber traits, economic yield and virus incidence. Population of jassid, whitefly and thrips was recorded by using leaf turn method, bollworms by counting whole fruiting parts (buds, flowers and bolls), virus by counting healthy and virus effected plants per plot, yield of seed cotton was determined by hand harvesting method, while qualitative fiber properties were measured through HVI spectrum-1 (high volume instrumentation) method. Cotton genotype NIAB-Bt-2 is resistant to jassid, whitefly and thrips with maximum GOT, staple length. In case of bollworms, all genotypes are resistant to spotted and american bollworm, except FH-142 and MNH-988. No genotype is resistant to pink bollworm in leftover bolls. Best yield performance was recorded on FH-142 (2041.54 kg/ha) with minimum CLCuV incidence. Further our research should recognize the share of one pest species on the yield and fiber quality of cotton by managing other pest species to define better management strategies. Our studies concluded that the genotype NIAB-Bt-2 has less insect attack i.e., sucking pest as well as bollworms, virus and other fiber characteristics like GOT, staple length as compared with other cotton genotypes should be recommended for general cultivation and being a resistant germplasm it should be included in breeding program for the development of new cotton strains.

River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom by Walter Johnson

River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom by Walter Johnson. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 2013. vi, 526 pp. $35.00 US (cloth) In 1803 the custodian of Spanish Louisiana, Napoleon Bonaparte, sold the territory to the United States for approximately 15 million dollars. price included a debt from the War for Independence. Bonaparte was at war, needed the money and had no strategic need of the territory. On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson's government had simply sought freer access through the port of New Orleans. French cession put the Mississippi River and New Orleans wholly within the United States and doubled the nation's sovereign territory taking it west to the Rocky Mountains. Louisiana Purchase would expand Jefferson's luminous of liberty, a boundless space populated by independent republican farmers. And so it appeared in the northwestern reaches of the Purchase. But a darker vision of empire took shape in the sub-tropical lower Mississippi Valley, in a powerful slave-based society within the ambit of the Mississippi River. That bright to dark imagery introduces Walter Johnson's ambitious new study of the Cotton Kingdom. rich soil and abundant land of Louisiana, Mississippi, and adjacent states were exploited with distinct strains of cotton, steam-driven riverboats, and global textile markets. Most important was the labour of hundreds of thousands of slaves, measured by planters as so many hands. millions of bales of cotton that went through New Orleans every year began with the toil of the enslaved. By 1850 the Cotton Kingdom was the wealthiest region in the United States. Johnson's treatment of life, racism and human degradation, and of the as labour producing commodity is powerful and depressing. Some 95 per cent of all African Americans in the Cotton Kingdom were in bondage, in a conspicuous colour line between slavery and freedom. As with all scholars seeking a perspective, Johnson has to rely on limited sources. few available narratives, including that of the well-known Solomon Northrop, cannot speak for the millions of illiterate, trapped slaves who lived and died in the Cotton Kingdom. However, for the most part, the narratives amplified by ancillary evidence are handled with tact and some theorizing. It seems that in order to address scholarly theories of accommodation and fatalism, Johnson's cotton-bound slave community did not succumb to the regime but adopted caring and cooperation as defensive and resistance strategies. Otherwise, Johnson's typical appears to be malnourished, ragged, intimidated and routinely whipped or beaten. reader will find no benevolent masters in Johnson's composite plantation culture. Johnson is a polished writer. His fondness for allusion in some of his fourteen chapter titles, leads, for example to the self-evident The Steamboat Sublime, Dominion, Carceral Landscape, and The Grey-Eyed Man of Destiny. He also uses detail effectively to illustrate a particular theme or topic. In one example he traces the fate of a bale of cotton with great facility by following the trail from the worn fingers of the picker across thousands of miles to the appraisal of the bale's value by a Liverpool broker. Johnson's chapters on the Mississippi's unique hydrology, seasonal shifts in river usage, on steamboat technology, and the logistics of a thousand plus miles of commerce and communication include a lively analysis of the sociology of the river's class- and race-layered culture. …

GENETIC EVALUATION OF SOME EXTRA LONG STAPLE COTTON STRAINS (Gossypium barbadense L.,) UNDER DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS

This study aimed to clear the interaction between the genotypes and environment on the performance of genotypes. Also to identificy the relationship among the current studied traits and the range of similarity between the genotypes. Thirty-five new cotton strains descending from fourteen Egyptian cotton crosses as well as five check varieties were included in Trial (A) were sown 2011 at Kafr El-Sheikh. According to the data of yield components and fiber traits, twenty strains were selected for sowing in the next season at three locations in trial (B) at 2012 season. With respect to multivariate analysis data four strains, numbered 12, 17, 19 and 20 which were derived from [(G. 70 x Pima S6) x G. 89 x G. 86)], (Pima S7 x G. 92), (G. 67 x Pima S6) x G.92, G.88 x (G.86 x G. 45) genotypes. These genotypes proved to be good substitutes to the genotypes G.87, promising cross {[G.84 x (G.70 x G.51B)] x S62}, G.88 and G.93 respectively. Estimation of variance component indicated that genetic components were more important than the components of genetic interaction. Heritability of yield components was relatively high (over 50%). The genetic variability was low. Stepwise analysis indicated that boll weight and earliness were the main characters responsible for yield performance. Also the data indicated that the traits fiber length (Upper Half Mean) and fiber strength were the main components for yarn strength.