Cotton Quality Research Articles

Identifying Superior Parents and Hybrids for Yield, Its Components and Fiber Quality in Cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.)

Identifying Superior Parents and Hybrids for Yield, Its Components and Fiber Quality in Cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.)

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the key role of histone deacetylation via mediating different phytohormone signalings in fiber initiation of cotton

BackgroundHistone deacetylation is one of the most important epigenetic modifications and plays diverse roles in plant development. However, the detailed functions and mechanisms of histone deacetylation in fiber development of cotton are still unclear. HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) have been commonly used to study the molecular mechanism underlying histone deacetylation or to facilitate disease therapy in humans through hindering the histone deacetylase catalytic activity. Trichostatin A (TSA)—the most widely used HDACi has been extensively employed to determine the role of histone deacetylation on different developmental stages of plants.ResultsThrough in vitro culture of ovules, we observed that exogenous application of TSA was able to inhibit the fiber initiation development. Subsequently, we performed a transcriptomic analysis to reveal the underlying mechanisms. The data showed that TSA treatment resulted in 4209 differentially expressed genes, which were mostly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and carbon metabolism pathways. The phytohormone signal transduction pathways harbor the most differentially expressed genes. Deeper studies showed that some genes promoting auxin, Gibberellic Acid (GA) signaling were down-regulated, while some genes facilitating Abscisic Acid (ABA) and inhibiting Jasmonic Acid (JA) signaling were up-regulated after the TSA treatments. Further analysis of plant hormone contents proved that TSA significantly promoted the accumulation of ABA, JA and GA3.ConclusionsCollectively, histone deacetylation can regulate some key genes involved in different phytohormone pathways, and consequently promoting the auxin, GA, and JA signaling, whereas repressing the ABA synthesis and signaling to improve the fiber cell initiation. Moreover, the genes associated with energy metabolism, phenylpropanoid, and glutathione metabolism were also regulated by histone deacetylation. The above results provided novel clues to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of epigenetic modifications as well as related different phytohormones in fiber cell differentiation, which is also very valuable for the molecular breeding of higher quality cotton.

Combining ability and heterosis for fiber color and quality in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The interest in organic cotton (colored) has been increased due to high contamination and environmental pollution during fabric dying process. However, detailed studies are needed to determine the genetic and yield related traits. Eight different cotton genotypes (3 green, 3 brown and 2 white) with known fiber color values were used in the current study to record combining ability and heterosis for fiber colour and quality traits. An 8×8 half diallel hybrid population containing 28 F1 hybrids was analysed in the experimental area of GAP Agricultural Research Institute, Şanlıurfa, Turkey. The study including parents and hybrids was established in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main aim was to examine the genetic structure for studied traits in the populations developed and detecting F1 hybrid vigour. Finding appropriate parent and hybrid combinations for breeding studies was the second major aim of the study. Sufficient variations were noted for the studied traits in hybrid population formed. Genetic parameters such as general and special compatibility abilities, heterosis and heterobeltiosis values were recorded in the formed population. Fiber length (mm), fiber fineness (micronaire), fiber strength (g tex-1), fiber uniformity (%), fiber color values L* (brightness), a* (red-greenness) and b* (yellow-blueness) values were recorded. It was noted that additive genetic effects were important for fiber length, fiber fineness, fiber strength, L*, a* and b* traits.

A Preliminary Study on the Effectiveness of Harpin Protein and Potassium Thiosulphate Foliar Applications on Yield and Quality Characteristics in Second Crop Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The foliar applications such as harpin protein and potassium thiosulfate (KTS) play a crucial role in cotton growing under especially adversely soil conditions. This study was conducted to evaluate the different combinations of harpin protein and KTS for yield, yield components and fiber quality in second crop cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The differences among treatments were significant for first picking percentage, seed cotton yield and fiber fineness. The applications of harpin protein at peak squaring and harpin protein at first flowering + after 21 days harpin protein were induced the earliness of cotton. The highest seed cotton yield was recorded in harpin protein at peak squaring with 4231.6 kg ha-1, whereas the fibers became coarser with the harpin protein and KTS applications. Results obtained from the current study indicated the potential effect of harpin protein and KTS on increasing the seed cotton yield.

A Yarn Nep Prediction Method Combining Grey Correlation and Nearest Neighbour

In recent years, there exist few difficulties for textile industries to predict the yarn nep index for small data and data with mutation. To fill this gap, a yarn nep prediction method combining grey correlation analysis and nearest-neighbour prediction method is proposed. In this paper, 26 indicators such as the raw cotton quality indicators and key process parameters are used as the input of the prediction model for yarn nep. The experimental results show that the relative error of the new method is lower than 10%, while the relative error of the individual data predicted by the traditional three-layer BP neural network is very large. Compared with the BP neural network, the average relative error and root-mean-square error of our proposed method are smaller, while the data are stable and the volatility is small. The prediction performance meets the user’s requirements. The effectiveness of the proposed model is proved.

Foliar application of mepiquat chloride and nitrogen improves yield and fiber quality traits of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the most important cash crops primarily grown for fiber. It is a perennial crop with indeterminate growth pattern. Nitrogen (N) is extremely important for vegetative growth as balanced N-nutrition improves photosynthesis, resulting in better vegetative growth. Excessive N-supply results in more vegetative growth, which increases the incidence of insect pest and diseases’ infestation, pollute surface and ground water, delays maturity and produces low crop yield with poor quality. The use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) is an emerging option to control excessive vegetative growth. The PGRs help in improving plant architecture, boll retention, boll opening, yield and quality by altering growth and physiological processes such as photosynthesis, assimilate partitioning and nutrients dynamic inside the plant body. Mepiquat chloride (1,1-dimethylpiperidinum chloride) is globally used PGR for canopy development and control of excessive vegetative growth in cotton. This study investigated the effect of mepiquat chloride (MC) and N application on yield and yield components of transgenic cotton variety ‘BT-FSH-326’. Two N rates (0, 198 kg ha-1) and five MC rates (0, 30,60, 90 and 120 g ha-1) were included in the study. Results revealed that MC and N application improved boll weight, number of bolls per plant, and seed cotton and lint yields. The highest seed cotton and lint yields (3595 kg ha-1 and 1701 kg ha-1, respectively) were observed under foliar application of 198 kg ha-1 N and 120 g ha-1 MC. Fiber length, fiber strength, micronaire and uniformity were significantly improved with foliar application of MC and N. In conclusion, foliar application of MC and N could be helpful in improving yield and fiber quality of cotton.

Effects of Soil Water Regulation on the Cotton Yield, Fiber Quality and Soil Salt Accumulation under Mulched Drip Irrigation in Southern Xinjiang, China

To optimize suitable water-saving and soil salt-controlling irrigation needed for the high yield and good quality of cotton in southern Xinjiang, a field experiment was carried out to study the effects of soil water lower limits on water consumption, water use efficiency (WUE), yield, cotton fiber quality and soil salt accumulation under mulched drip irrigation in Korla, Xinjiang. The field capacity (FC) was regarded as the upper limit of soil moisture, and five soil water lower limits (85% FC, 75% FC, 65% FC, 55% FC, 45% FC, referred as T1~T5, respectively) were designed during the cotton growth period. The results indicated that the irrigation frequency and irrigation quota of cotton were gradually increased with the increase in the soil water lower limit, while the water consumption modulus for T2 treatment during the critical period of water demand arrived at the maximum value. Moreover, with the decrease in the soil water lower limit, the WUE, fiber micronaire value and fiber maturity index of cotton increased, whereas the yield, nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFPN) and fiber breaking elongation of cotton decreased. However, when the soil water lower limit exceeded 75% FC, the increase had little effect on the cotton yield increase and PFPN improvement, and the yield and PFPN for T2 treatment were 7146.4 kg∙hm−2 and 23.82 kg∙kg−1, respectively, In addition, the decrease in the soil water lower limit was unfavorable for an increase in fiber length, but it was conducive to the enhancement of fiber strength. Furthermore, soil salt accumulated inside and outside the film for the designed soil water lower limits, and the amount of accumulated salt in 0~100 cm followed T3 > T5 > T1 > T2 > T4. Based on a comprehensive analysis with the entropy TOPSIS method, the findings of the present study suggested that the suitable soil water lower limit for cotton under mulched drip irrigation was 75% FC in southern Xinjiang, China.

Quality of Cotton and cotton/elastane Single Jersey Knitted Fabrics before and after Softening and in Situ Synthesis of Cu-based Nanoparticles

ABSTRACT The quality of cotton and cotton/elastane single jersey knitted fabrics before and after softening was evaluated through their mechanical properties, pilling, and volume electrical resistivity. Elastane-containing fabrics have higher bursting elongation and stiffness, lower bursting strength, the same or higher pilling grade, and 23–27% lower electrical resistivities compared to 100% cotton due to the increased compactness that enables better contact between the loops, and easier flow of charge through them. Softening does not affect or slightly improves the fabric pilling (up to 1000 cycles); it decreases fabrics’ stiffness and increases their bursting strength and electrical resistivities. The last one was significantly decreased after the in situ synthesis of Cu-based nanoparticles on fabrics’ surfaces. Namely, fabrics were first treated with sodium alginate whose carboxylate groups crosslinked Cu2+-ions (from CuSO4 solution) that were further reduced with ascorbic acid. In situ synthesis of Cu-based nanoparticles (detected by FESEM) improves the fabrics’ quality and enables obtaining multifunctional fabrics having 3.4–9.6 times lower resistivities, which are in line with the content of Cu after reduction (determined using ICP-OES), up to 2.5 times higher antioxidant activity and provided maximum microbial reduction for E. Coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans.

Effect of Mepiquat Chloride on Phenology, Yield and Quality of Cotton as a Function of Application Time Using Different Sowing Techniques

Mepiquat chloride (MC) is a plant growth regulator used to manage the rampant vegetative growth of cotton. A two-year field experiment was conducted at the Postgraduate Agricultural Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, during 2017 and 2018 to investigate the influence of MC applied at different times on phenology, morphology, lint yield and quality of cotton cultivated using different sowing techniques. MC was applied 50 days after sowing (DAS), 60 DAS and 70 DAS to cotton planted in flat fields (flat sowing), ridges (ridge sowing) and beds (bed sowing). The interactive effect of MC application time and sowing technique did not influence crop phenology, morphology, and lint yield and quality. It was revealed that the crop planted on beds took fewer days to flower (10%) as compared to that on the flat field, and the bed-sown crop produced a higher number of opened bolls (60%) and was characterized by a higher boll weight (32%) and seed cotton yield (50%) in comparison to the flat-sown crop. A late application of MC (at 70 DAS) caused a significant reduction in the time to flowering (8%), with a simultaneous increase in the number of opened bolls (60%), boll weight (32%), ginning out turn (8%) and lint yield (27%) as compared to MC application at 50 DAS. In terms of lint quality, cotton planted on beds had better fiber uniformity (8%) compared to that on the flat field, while MC applied at 70 DAS produced better fiber fineness by 27% in comparison to MC applied earlier. Overall, cotton planting on beds and MC application at 70 DAS may help improve cotton yield and fiber quality and may help in the mechanical picking of cotton.

In silico analysis and expression profiling of Expansin A4, BURP domain protein RD22-like and E6-like genes associated with fiber quality in cotton.

To supply high-quality cotton fibre for the textile industry, the development of long, strong and fine fibre cotton varieties is imperative. An interlinked approach was used to comprehend the role of fibre genes by analyzing interspecific progenies of cotton species. Wild Gossypium species and races are rich source of genetic polymorphism due to environmental dispersal and continuous natural selection. These genetic resources hold mass of outclass genes that can be used in cotton improvement breeding programs to exploit possible traits such as fibre quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and disease and insect resistance. Therefore, use of new molecular techniques such as genomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics is very important to utilize the genetic potential of wild species in cotton improvement programs. Interspecific lines and Gossypium species used in the study were grown at Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan. After retrieving DNA sequence of the genes from NCBI, the primers for gene expression and full-length gene sequence were designed. Expression profiling of Expansin A4, BURP Domain protein RD22-like and E6-like fibre genes was performed through Real Time PCR. BLAST and DNA sequence alignment was conducted for sequence comparison of interspecific lines and Gossypium species. Different in silico analysis were used for characterization of fibre genes and identification of cis acting promoter elements in promoter region. Variable expression of genes related to fibre development was observed at different stages. BLAST and DNA sequence alignment demonstrated resemblance of interspecific lines with G. hirsutum. In silico analysis on the sequence data also confirmed the role of Expansin A4, BURP Domain protein RD22-like and E6-like fibre genes in fibre development. Genetic engineering is also recommended by transferring E6-like, Expansin A4 and BURP Domain RD22-like genes in local cotton cultivars. Similarly, several stress tolerant and light responsive cis acting elements were identified through promotor analysis, which may contribute for fibre development in the breeding programs. Expansin A4, BURP Domain RD22-like and E6-like have positive role in fibre development with variable expression at fiber length and strength associated stages.

PENINGKATAN KUALITAS PRODUKSI PAKAIAN PADA USAHA KONVEKSI SUSILAWATI DENGAN BERBASIS METODE SIX SIGMA

Usaha Konveksi Susilawati is one of the businesses engaged in convection that produces t-shirts that still have problems with defective products in the form of messy stitches, asymmetrical seams, incomplete accessories, unclean t-shirts, and inaccuracies in size, so quality control is necessary with the six sigma method.. Research This aim is to improve the quality of cotton combed t-shirt production using the DMAIC stage. This research begins with making a project charter and collecting data. It was found that there were four data that were outside the control limits, so improvement was needed. After that, the data is continued by calculating the DPMO value is 8,1350.80 and converting it into a sigma level of 3.90. With this sigma level value, it can be said that this company is at a profit of 25-40% sales and only reaches 93.3% customer satisfaction level. The results of FMEA analysis with the highest RPN value are method factors because there is no clear SOP. At the improve stage using the 5W+1H method, Kaizen 5S theory and Poka Yoke. Based on the improvement plan, a proposal for improving the design of a new work SOP can be made. The control stage is carried out by re-testing the company's production data after implementing the proposed improvement. The results obtained are the DPMO value of 2,063.71 and converted to a sigma level of 4.37. This shows that the production quality of the Usaha Konveksi Susilawati’s clothing has increased after the implementation.

Effect of elevated CO2 and temperature on the life cycle of pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) mediated by Bt cotton

Pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) is the notorious pest and being a monophagy on cotton, the damage that it causes is alarming. Any changes in the nutritional quality of cotton will have direct influences on pink bollworm. In this regard, the host-mediated effect of eCO2 and temperature on the life cycle of pink bollworm, P. gossypiella on Bt cotton was studied in the open top chambers at the Center for Agro-climatic Studies, UAS, Raichur. The results revealed that variations in phyto-chemistry of Bt cotton particularly the cry toxin expression and nitrogen have reduced in elevated CO2 and temperature conditions which also reduced larval, pupal period, adult longevity, fecundity and incubation period. However, the total life span of pink bollworm did not show statistically significant differences among the climate change treatments. Similar results were noticed when pink bollworm was reared on Bt cotton collected from different open top chambers and reared separately in growth chambers and the same larvae were analyzed for their enzyme activity. A significant increase in the activity of midgut proteases (trypsin and chymotrypsin), carbohydrases (α-amylase) was noticed but lipase activity was reduced.

Low soil fertility impairs cotton yield in the early years of no-tillage over degraded pasture

No-till is one of the main techniques for soil conservation and the mitigation of negative climate impacts. The objective of this study was to evaluate soil fertility, nutrition, cotton yield, and the fiber quality of cotton under different soil tillage systems. The study was carried out in the field in the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 crop seasons. The experimental design was a complete randomized block with five replications. No-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) farming were used in the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 crop seasons. NT resulted in higher soil bulk density (0-35 cm) than CT. When compared to NT, the availability of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, cation exchange capacity, base saturation, zinc, and pH were 120, 90, 43, 135, 49, 110, 41, and 8% higher in areas with CT, respectively. Boron content was 14% higher with NT (0-20 cm) than CT. Leaf concentrations of nitrogen, Ca, and Mg were higher with CT in both seasons, and B was higher with NT. However, in the second season (2018/2019), leaf concentrations of P, K, and sulfur were higher with NT than CT. When compared to NT, fiber yields were 75% and 32% higher with CT in the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 seasons, respectively; this corresponded to a difference of 757 and 420 kg ha-1 of fiber. However, no effects on fiber quality parameters were observed. NT limits the availability of most nutrients in soil in the early years of cotton cultivation; this reduces plant nutrition and fiber yield but has no effect on quality.

Environmental and Regional Effects on Fiber Quality of Cotton Cultivated in Greece

The cultivation of cotton and in particular the quality characteristics of the fiber are mainly influenced by the growing conditions, the cultivation techniques as well as the climatic changes of the environment. The current study aimed to quantify the impact of environment, season, and their interactions on cotton fiber quality of different areas where cotton is grown in Greece. A large-scale database was created, consisting of more than 20,000 fiber samples from cotton fields of the four major cotton-producing regions of Greece (Thrace, Macedonia, Central Greece, and Thessaly) during 2016–2020, in order to evaluate thirteen fiber quality traits that were divided into four groups (fiber maturity, fiber length, color, and trash traits). The results of this work demonstrated that the effect of the environment and the interaction of the environment with year (season), were the important source of variance for almost all the qualitative characteristics studied. Regional climatic characteristics such as temperature, humidity and rainfall also significantly affected to a greater or lesser extent all quality characteristics. In conclusion, the different cultivation regions, in the broader sense of an environment that incorporates both climatic and management parameters, show stability in terms of the studied groups of quality parameters. This stability is independent of the high or low performance of the group features.

Silicon foliar spraying in the reproductive stage of cotton plays an equivalent role to boron in increasing yield, and combined boron-silicon application, without polymerization, increases fiber quality

Foliar spraying of a boron (B) + silicon (Si) mixture (1.50 g L-1 of B + 1.15 g L-1 of Si) during the reproductive stage of cotton plants could benefit both crop yield and fiber quality; however, further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. Two experiments were carried out under field conditions, using the FM 906 GLT cotton cultivar, with experiment I conducted in the 2018/2019 growing season and II in 2019/2020. A randomized block design was used for both experiments, consisting of four treatments: water; foliar boron; foliar silicon; and foliar boron + silicon and six replications. A preliminary laboratory test was performed to assess the turbidity of B and Si solutions and determine their compatibility in a mixture. Four foliar applications were performed, beginning in reproductive stage B1, at intervals of 7–11 days. Foliar spraying of B alone was efficient in increasing concentrations of the micronutrient in cotton leaves and fiber. Silicon foliar application was also efficient in raising concentrations in leaves and fiber. Silicon + boron proved to be efficient in supplying cotton plans with both the micronutrient and the element. The internal CO2 concentration and photosynthetic rate of plants treated with B, Si or B+Si were higher than those observed in controls, with no difference between these treatments. The addition of Si to the boron spray solution (B+Si) and Si application alone (Si) increased WUE, with no difference between these treatments, compared with B and controls. Boron, Si and B+Si increased cotton fiber yield, in relation to the control treatment. Individual and combined (B+Si) application of B and Si increased the micronaire values and cotton fiber length in both growing seasons studied. Applying only B or Si also improved the tensile strength of cotton fibers in relation to controls and the highest value for this variable in both experiments was obtained when plants were treated with the B+Si mixture. Foliar spraying of B reduced the short fiber content when compared to controls and applying Si alone or added to the boron solution produced the lowest result for this parameter. Our results demonstrate that foliar Si spraying has an equivalent effect to B on the yield and fiber quality of cotton, and that combining the two elements is particularly beneficial to cotton fiber, improving its tensile strength and reducing short fiber content.

Effect of inorganic and organic sources and levels of boron on growth, yield and quality of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) under salt stress condition

Therefore, a simple, completely factorial randomized pot experiment was conducted during 2018 at pot culture yard, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Annamalai University to evaluate the effect of organic and inorganic sources and levels of boron on growth and yield, quality attributes and uptake by cotton under salt stress condition. The experiment was conducted with four levels of boron (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg//kg of soil) through three sources viz., borox, solubar and magnesium borohumate complexes. The cotton variety LRA5166 was used as test variety. The results revealed that application of 1.5 kg of B through magnesium borohumate (MBH) complex recorded the higher plant height (124.6 cm), leaf area index (4.82), DMP (216 g/pot), yield components like number of bolls per plant (18.20), and mean boll weight (3.92) of cotton in saline sodic soil. Furthermore, higher seed cotton yield (93.51 g/pot), seed yield (54.72 g/pot) and lint yield (33.53 72 g/pot) were also recorded. This was on par with application of 1.0 kg of B through magnesium borohumate and recorded the plant height (122.81 cm), leaf area index (4.7), DMP (213 g/pot), yield components like number of bolls per plant (17.4), and mean boll weight (3.83 g), seed cotton yield (92.71 g/pot), seed yield (54.1 g/pot) and lint yield (32.96 g/pot) and followed by S2L4 (1.5 kg of B through solubar). The conclusion made from this study is the application of boron through 1.0 kg of B through magnesium borohumate will sustainably increase the cotton yield in saline sodic soil.

Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis and Identification of Candidate Genes Affecting Seed Size and Shape in an Interspecific Backcross Inbred Line Population of Gossypium hirsutum × Gossypium barbadense.

Seed size and shape are key agronomic traits affecting seedcotton yield and seed quality in cotton (Gossypium spp.). However, the genetic mechanisms that regulate the seed physical traits in cotton are largely unknown. In this study, an interspecific backcross inbred line (BIL) population of 250 BC1F7 lines, derived from the recurrent parent Upland CRI36 (Gossypium hirsutum) and Hai7124 (Gossypium barbadense), was used to investigate the genetic basis of cotton seed physical traits via quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and candidate gene identification. The BILs were tested in five environments, measuring eight seed size and shape-related traits, including 100-kernel weight, kernel length width and their ratio, kernel area, kernel girth, kernel diameter, and kernel roundness. Based on 7,709 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers, a total of 49 QTLs were detected and each explained 2.91–35.01% of the phenotypic variation, including nine stable QTLs mapped in at least three environments. Based on pathway enrichment, gene annotation, genome sequence, and expression analysis, five genes encoding starch synthase 4, transcription factor PIF7 and MYC4, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E27, and THO complex subunit 4A were identified as candidate genes that might be associated with seed size and shape. Our research provides valuable information to improve seed physical traits in cotton breeding.

Integration of chitosan and NPK nonparticles to enhance the yield, fiber and yarn quality of Egyptian cotton

The purpose of the current study is to compare among traditional fertilizers (mineral fertilizers); N, P and K and untraditional fertilizers (nano-fertilizers); chitosan, integration of chitosan and N, P or K nano-particles with different doses of 10, 20 and 30mg/l. Mineral fertilizers were obtained from the chemical store of Soils and Water Research Institute, ARC. Nano-fertilizers were prepared in National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science (NILES), Cairo University. The studied cotton variety was Giza 94 (G94). All used cotton samples were collected from 2017 and 2018 cotton growing seasons. Cotton fiber properties was conducted at Egyptian & International Cotton Classification Center (EICCC) using Fiber Classifying System (FCS), (ARC). Almost of cotton properties such as seed cotton yield, boll weight, lint percentage and lint cotton yield, cotton fiber properties; uniformity index, upper half mean, strength, elongation, reflectance percentage, yarn strength and yellowness gave a significant contribution towards final product. The conclusion of results was that nano-fertilize doses of chitosan+K 30mg/l was the best for almost studied properties followed by other nano-fertilizers chitosan+K 10 or 20mg/l, chitosan+P10,20 or 30mg/l, chitosan+N 10,20 and 30mg/l, chitosan and finally traditional fertilizers; mineral fertilizers.

Development and Utilization of Functional Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR Markers for Key Genes Underpinning Fiber Length and Strength in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Fiber length (FL) and fiber strength (FS) are the important indicators of fiber quality in cotton. Longer and stronger fibers are preferred for manufacturing finer yarns in the textile industry. Functional markers (FMs) designed from polymorphic sites within gene sequences attributing to phenotypic variation are highly efficient when used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding superior varieties with longer FL and higher FS. The aims of this study were to develop FMs via kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assays and to validate the efficacy of the FMs for allele discrimination and the potential value in practice application. We used four single-nucleotide polymorphism markers and 360 cotton accessions and found that two FMs, namely, D11_24030087 and A07_72204443, could effectively differentiate accessions of different genotypes with higher consistency to phenotype. The appeared frequencies of varieties harbored Hap2 (elite alleles G and T) with longer FL (> the mean of accessions with non-elite allele, 28.50 mm) and higher FS (> the mean of accessions with non-elite allele, 29.06 cN•tex–1) were 100 and 72.7%, respectively, which was higher than that of varieties harbored only on a single elite allele (G or T, 77.9 or 61.9%), suggesting a favorable haplotype for selecting varieties with superior FL and FS. These FMs could be valuable for the high-throughput selection of superior materials by providing genotypic information in cotton breeding programs.

Endophytic Streptomyces isolated from Ocimum tenuiflorum and Catharanthus roseus and its efficacy test to develop antibacterial fabric for wound caring

In this research work, endophytic Streptomyces sp. was isolated from Ocimum tenuiflorum (OT), Catharanthus roseus (CR), and Plectranthus barbatus (PB). Eighty percentage of medicines discovered from natural sources are from Streptomyces sp. diabetic mellitus is considered as the seventh cause for mortality and among diabetic patients, of which diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a major concern. Endophytic actinobacteria isolated from medicinal plants are screened for its antibacterial agent production. Desized good quality cotton fiber was finished with isolated endophytic actinobacteria metabolite using the dip-dry method and in succeeding stages AATCC90 and AATCC 147 (American Association of Textile Chemist and Colorist) methods were used for screening against Sathaphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Three different isolates namely OT, CR, and PB were selected based on its efficacy and identified as Streptomyces sp. using the biochemical, morphological and molecular technique. Wash durability test confirmed that the active agent was retained on the fabric surface up to ten cycles without binder and scanning electron microscope images showed that there was no pilling or damage on the finished fabric. Solvent extraction, thin layer and column chromatography, EDAX, UV–Visible spectroscopy were performed for purification and compound identification. Streptomyces cellulosae deposited in the Genbank and obtained the number.