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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #90717
Title: GENETIC MODIFICATION OF COTTON FIBER PROPERTIES AS MEASURED BY SINGLE- AND HIGH-VOLUME INSTRUMENTS

Author
item May Iii, Oscar
item JIVIDEN, GAY - COTTON INC., RALEIGH, NC

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Certain properties of cotton fiber, particularly fiber strength, contribute to yarn manufacture and textile quality. The genetic modification of fiber properties to confer improved processing for manufacturers and better textile products for consumers requires adequate measurement of fiber properties. Fiber properties can be measured by several classes of instrument including those that can measure only a single property, or integrated instruments capable of measuring two or more properties. This research compared genetic improvement of fiber strength by the two classes of instrument. Genetic improvement of fiber strength was similar when measured with single or integrated high-volume instruments. The response of properties related to fiber strength was equal to or more favorable with high-volume testing than that observed with single-instrument testing. Because high-volume instrument testing is faster and costs less per measurement compared with single-instrument testing, breeders can use these data to facilitate breeding better germplasm. More experimental germplasms can be trialed and evaluated for fiber properties by high-volume testing without sacrificing genetic gain or increasing costs.

Technical Abstract: Progress towards better fiber quality could be enhanced if breeders knew whether choice of fiber property measurement instrument affects direct and correlated response to selection. Heritability of fiber properties measured by single instrument (stelometer, fibrograph) and high volume instrument (HVI) were compared in two cotton (G. hirsutum L.) populations. Additional fiber properties important to textile processing including neps, short fiber content, immature fiber content, and fineness were measured by the Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS). Heritability of micronaire reading and length (2.5% span length or upper half mean) was similar whether measured with single-instrument or HVI. Heritability of fiber strength was greater when measured with stelometer than HVI, but the subpopulations with highest fiber strength by stelometer or HVI measurement differed little for fiber strength when evaluated with either instrument. Heritability of short fiber content averaged about 0.2, fiber fineness about 0.5, and immature fiber content about 0.6, indicating the potential for genetic progress. Correlated responses of short and immature fiber to selection for fiber strength by stelometer or HVI measurement varied in one population. Overall, early generation selection for fiber strength by HVI measurement resulted in desirable fiber profiles.