Location: Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Research
Project Number: 3096-21000-022-016-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Sep 20, 2018
End Date: Aug 31, 2022
Objective:
1) Screen about 500 Upland cotton germplasm accessions from diverse geographical locations of Uzbekistan currently in the USDA-ARS Cotton Germplasm Collection and chromosome substitution (CS) lines developed from the tetraploid species of G. barbedense, G.tomentosum, and G. mustelinum in a field infested with FOV race 4 (FOV4) and greenhouse in Texas, New Mexico, and California. 2) The identified FOV4 resistant/tolerant entries from multiple screenings will be used as parents to cross with USA germplasm with improved fiber traits to develop resistant/tolerant FOV4 progeny and segregating populations. 3) Selected identified FOV4 resistant/tolerant entries and developed progeny will be evaluated for agronomic, yield, and fiber quality at two ARS locations of Mississippi State, MS and Lubbock, TX. 4) The population will be used for fingerprinting with SNP molecular marker to monitor introgression of FOV resistant/tolerant genes, and 5) every year two young scientists and graduate students from Uzbekistan will receive hands on training in the field, greenhouse and molecular laboratory research at two ARS locations of MS and TX during this project.
Approach:
Cotton (Gossypium sp.) one of the most important cash crops in the U.S.A. and primary economic source in Uzbekistan. Fusarium wilt [Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV)] disease of cotton causes significant economic losses to cotton farmers of the USA, Uzbekistan and many other countries. Host-plant resistance is the only cost-effective long-term solution to address the problem of FOV, but its use is seriously impeded by the narrow genetic base of Upland cotton. The overall goals of the project are to (1) find sources of genetic resistance, (2) show inheritance and map the responsible genes, and (3) advance international education and networking. We will screen about 500 Upland cotton germplasm accessions from diverse geographical locations of Uzbekistan in the USDA-ARS Cotton Germplasm Collection and chromosome substitution (CS) lines developed from the tetraploid species of G. barbadense, G. tomentosum and G. mustelinum in fields infested with FOV race 4 (FOV4). Entries identified as FOV4-resistant/tolerant will be crossed with USA improved fiber quality germplasm to develop novel progeny or populations, or breeding material with FOV4 resistance/tolerance; these will be evaluated for agronomic, yield and fiber quality traits at two ARS locations of Mississippi State, MS and Lubbock, TX and will be fingerprinted with SNP markers for genetic dissection and monitoring of FOV resistant/tolerant genes. Each year, two young scientists and graduate students from Uzbekistan will receive hands-on training in the field, greenhouse and molecular laboratory research at two ARS locations of MS and TX during this project. The same set of cotton lines will be used for screening against the FOV races using similar research strategy at Uzbekistan. USDA-ARS (TX and MS), Uzbekistan (Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics), and University (Texas AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, Fresno State, CA, University of California, and New Mexico State University) cooperators involved with this research project will help in the screening of about 500 cotton accessions in the field at Texas and California, and in greenhouse in New Mexico Texas, and California. In addition, selected lines will be genotyped or fingerprinted with SNP marker to monitor FOV resistant gene(s). The anticipated products of this research will be: 1) early stages of novel alien germplasm resistant/tolerant against FOV with improved fiber quality traits in the form of breeding materials that can be used by the cotton breeders in breeding nursery, 2) important knowledge about the FOV-resistance gene(s) to use in the breeding program, 3) potential DNA markers for assisting breeding of FOV resistance gene(s) that can expedite the selection process in cotton breeding programs, 4) genetic diversification and targeted introgression of useful traits from wild species, 5) new information about the most prevalent FOV races in Uzbekistan and USA for future strategy to combat against this serious disease, 6) young Uzbek cotton scientists with training in advanced molecular and field research, and 7) strengthened connections between U.S. and UZ researchers and institutions.
