1Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012.
2Nuclear Research Laboratory, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012.
* Corresponding Author: E-mail: babchaudhary@yahoo.co.in
Adoption of modern rotor spinning system by textile industry has increased demand for high fibre strength cottons. Most of the presently developed G. hirsutum cultivars have low fibre strength. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop improved cultivars having high yield and superior fibre quality, especially high fibre strength to meet the requirements of modern textile industry. Strain P 56-4 identified for high fibre strength was crossed with low fibre strength variety RS 2013 during 2005–06. Crosses were made during 2006 to obtain 6 generations (P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2) which were evaluated at IARI, New Delhi during 2007–08. Additive, dominance and epistatic gene effects were important for seed cotton yield, boll number, boll weight, ginning outturn, seed index and plant height. Dominance gene effects and epistasis were important for 2.5% span length and fibre elongation, and epistatic effects were important for monopodial branches, uniformity ratio and fibre strength. Heterosis breeding approach may be followed to exploit dominance and epistatic gene effects for high yield and superior fibre quality.
Cotton, Fibre quality, Heterosis, Seed cotton yield
