Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307311
Title: Alleles conferring improved fiber quality from EMS mutagenesis of elite cotton genotypes

Author
item PATEL, JINESH - University Of Georgia
item WRIGHT, ROBERT - Texas Tech University
item AULD, DICK - Texas Tech University
item CHANDNANI, RAHUL - University Of Georgia
item GOFF, VALORIE - University Of Georgia
item INGLES, JENNIFER - University Of Georgia
item PIERCE, GARY - University Of Georgia
item TORRES, MANUEL - University Of Georgia
item PATERSON, ANDREW - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Theoretical and Applied Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2014
Publication Date: 4/1/2014
Citation: Patel, J.D., Wright, R.J., Auld, D., Chandnani, R., Goff, V.H., Ingles, J., Pierce, G.J., Torres, M.J., Paterson, A.H. 2014. Alleles conferring improved fiber quality from EMS mutagenesis of elite cotton genotypes. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 127(4):821-830.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The elite gene pool of cotton (Gossypium spp.) has less diversity than those of most other major crops, making identification of novel alleles important to ongoing crop improvement. A total of 3,164 M5 lines resulting from ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis of two G. hirsutum breeding lines, TAM 94L-25 and Acala 1517-99, were characterized for basic components of fiber quality and selected yield components. Across all measured traits, the ranges of phenotypic values among the mutant lines were consistently larger than could be explained by chance (5.27–10.1 for TAM 94 L-25 and 5.29–7.94 standard deviations for Acala 1517-99-derived lines). Multi-year replicated studies confirmed a genetic basis for these differences, showing significant correlations between lines across years and environments. A subset of 157 lines selected for superior fiber qualities, including fiber elongation (22 lines), length (22), lint percent (17), fineness (23), Rd value (21), strength (19), uniformity (21) and multiple attributes in a selection index (26) were compared to 55 control lines in replicated trials in both Texas and Georgia. For all traits, mutant lines showing substantial and statistically significant improvements over control lines were found, in most cases from each of the two genetic backgrounds. This indicates that genetic improvements for a wide range of fiber traits may be obtained from mutagenesis of elite cottons. Indeed, lines selected for one fiber trait sometimes conferred additional attributes, suggesting pleiotropic effects of some mutations and offering multiple benefits for the incorporation of some alleles into mainstream breeding programs.