Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bathinda-151001
*E-mail: rkarora@pau.edu
Online published on 21 April, 2018.
Cotton (Gossypium species L.), an economically important cash crop, is a major source of feed, food and fibre worldwide. The major constraint in cotton production in north India is Cotton leaf curl virus disease (CLCuVD) and its vector whitefly. The present study was conducted to study the severity of CLCuVD and whitefly infestation on 41 released + preleased Bt cotton hybrids and its impact on fibre quality i.e. fibre fineness (μg./inch), fibre strength (g/tex) and staple length(mm). The results revealed that none of the Bt cotton hybrids were free from the attack of CLCuVD and whitefly. Although, only the two Bt cotton hybrid i.e. nCS 855 and Bio 6539-2 were found to be the moderately resistant to CLCuVD. The PDI of CLCuVD and whitefly infestation were not directly correlated with fibre quality.
Cotton leaf curl virus disease (CLCuVD), per cent disease index(PDI), whitefly, fibre fineness