Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources

In an exploration undertaken in January, 1991, 77 germplasm comprising 3 cultivated species of cotton were collected from 67 sites in Kachchh and Saurashtra regions in Gujarat. Forty two samples in Gossypium herbaceum L. and 32 in G. arboreum L. represented the local diversity in Asiatic diploid cottons and3in G. hirsutum L. in American cotton. The collections showed a wide range of variability in plant height, plant habit, plant pigmentation, leaf lobing, boll number, size, shape and bursting, fibre length, ginning out-turn and resistance to salinity, drought and shattering. The primitive Dhumad types with indehiscent ripe bolls and Wagad types with semi dehiscent bolls in G. herbaceum, L. were observed to be important genetic resources for resistance to salinity, drought and non-shattering habit. Red and green pigmented open boll mathio types in G. arboreum L. were identified as desirable donors for high fibre length and boll number. Based on passport and laboratory data, some of individual plant selections were identified as promising for direct utilization in breeding as straight selections.