Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India
1Present address: Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University. Manhattan, Kansas 66506, U.S.A.
*Part of M.Sc. thesis submitted by first author to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
One hunbred and thirteen F5 progenies of two intervarietal Egyptian cotton (Gossypimn barbadense L.) crosses, SB 289 E X G 6002 and SIV-135 X Giza-7 were evaluated under Delhi conditions for earliness, yield, fibre quality and boll worm damage. Earliness of desirable level was achieved. In some progenies the yield was as high as that of H-14, a G. hirsutum L. Gultivar adapted to North India. Early maturing progenies had higher yield and less boll worm damage. Progenies had much higher boll number but lower boll weight than H-14. Sixteen progenies possessed extra long (33–35 mm) fibre. Twenty-eight progenies combined fine fibre, average fibre maturity and good to very good fibre strenth. Ten promising progenies were identified. The usefulness of these progenies in evolving for the first time cultivars of barbadense cottons for Northern India is discussed.
