An investigation was undertaken to assess the gene action underlying the inheritance of fibre traits, viz., 2.5% span length, fibre uniformity, fineness and maturity coefficient, and to suggest breeding methodologies for improvement of these characters. Mean data of six generations of five crosses were partitioned into their components. In general, all the traits were governed by additive, dominance, and digenic nonallelic interaction effects. However, nonadditive gene action predominated the additive gene action. Hence, one or two cycles of recurrent selection techniques followed by pedigree method of handling the segregates could be successfully adopted for improvement of the traits studied.
Genetic analysis, fibre traits, cotton
