Assessment of genotype × environment interactions for yield and fiber quality in cotton performance trials

Plant breeding programs involving a wide range of crop plants routinely practice selection (directly or indirectly) for genotypes that display stability for a given trait or set of traits across testing environments through the genotype evaluation process. Genotype stability for trait performance is a direct measure of the presence and effect of genotype × environment interactions, which result from the differential performance of a genotype or cultivar across environments. The genotype evaluation process also requires selection of the proper field trial locations that best represent the target environments the breeding program is directed toward. In this study, we assessed the extent to which genotype × environment interactions affected agronomic performance (lint yield, gin turnout) and fiber quality (fiber length, fiber strength, uniformity index, micronaire, fiber elongation) in a series of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) performance trials in 12 location–year environments in South Carolina. Genotype × environment interactions affecting lint yield were larger in higher yielding environments, while interactions for fiber strength were greater for genotypes with lower mean fiber strength values. Two regions within the South Carolina cotton production areas were identified as proper testing locations for lint yield performance, while testing for fiber strength can be accomplished in any location within the statewide cotton production areas. The U.S. Government's right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Effects of the dominant glandless gene Gl2e on agronomic and fibre characters of Upland cotton

Seven pairs of near‐isogenic lines (glandless vs. glanded) and the recurrent parents were used to determine the effects of the dominant glandless gene from ‘Hai 1’(Gossypium barbadense) on agronomic, fibre, and seed characters in Upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, backgrounds. The results showed that there were no apparent linkage associations of the glandless gene on most agronomic, fibre and seed characters of Upland cotton, except for seed quality. The glandless line derived from ‘Liaomian 7’had significantly more protein (489.6 g/kg), and that from H237 had significantly more oil (362.4 g/kg) and had the largest oil index (2.70 g) and protein index (3.03 g). The gossypol content of seed in dominant glandless lines in Upland cotton was very low (<0.04 g/kg). Therefore, it is suggested that the glandless gene can play an important role in breeding glandless or low seed‐gossypol Upland cotton cultivars.     

Effect of 1-Naphthaleneacetic Acid Concentrations and the Number of its Applications on the Yield Components, Yield and Fibre Properties of Egyptian Cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.)

Field experiments were performed in two successive seasons at the Experimental Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt, on the Egyptian cotton cultivar Giza 75 ( Gossypium barbadense L.). Cotton plants were sprayed with the growth regulator 1-naphthaleneace acid (NAA) once (at 90 days), or twice (at 90 and 105 days) or thrice (90, 105 and 120 days) after sowing, during the square initiation and boiling stage at the concentrations of 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 p.p.m. The volume of solution was the same for all treatments. 9601 ha⁻¹. The control plants were sprayed with water only. The effect of the previous treatments on yield components, cotton yield and fibre properties was studied.
The application of NAA increased the number of opened bolls plant⁻¹, boll weight, seed index, seed cotton yield plant⁻¹ and seed cotton and lint yields ha⁻¹. The most significant effects were obtained with the 15 and 20 p.p.m. concentrations. Lint percentage, fibre length parameters and micronaire value were not significantly affected by NAA. Flat bundle strength was significantly affected by NAA but with no definite trend. The application of NAA twice or thrice tended to give the best results on yield components and cotton yield compared with one application. The results of this study suggested that 20 p.p.m. of NAA gave the best figures when applied twice on the Egyptian cotton plants.     

Growth and Yield Performance of Some Cotton Cultivars in Xinjiang,China, An Arid Area with Short Growing Period

Eleven cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars were evaluated for their growth and yield performance in Shihezi, Xinjiang, China, an area in Central Asia with short growing period in 1999 and 2000. In each cultivar the number of bolls per plant was low and the number of bolls per unit area was high. Each cultivar showed rather high seed and lint yields. The highest lint yield was Xinluzao 10 in both years with 1761 and 1809 kg ha^?1. High yield ability of the cultivars in this study was attributed to large number of bolls per unit area with high lint percentage. Seed and lint yields had significant positive correlations with mean net assimilation rate, ratio of reproductive to vegetative organs and mean boll weight at earlier stages of boll growth, suggesting that early boll formation and successive partitioning of dry matter into bolls were important factors for boll growth in this study area.     

Genetic association of within‐boll yield components and boll morphological traits with fibre properties in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Knowledge of genetic relationships between within‐boll yield components and fibre quality is essential for simultaneous improvement of lint yield and fibre quality in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Nine parents and their F₁ progeny with reciprocals from a 3 × 6 factorial mating design were grown in 2008 and 2009. Seven within‐boll yield components and two boll morphological traits and the three fibre quality parameters were analysed based on a conditional additive/dominance (AD) genetic model. Results showed that boll length contributed to the largest proportion of phenotypic, additive and dominance variances for UHM length; seed index contributed to the largest proportion of phenotypic and additive variances for fibre strength; boll width made the largest contribution to phenotypic and additive variances and the second largest contribution to dominance‐by‐environment interaction variance for micronaire, indicating that they played an important role than the other traits for fibre length, strength and fineness/maturity, respectively. It is worthy of note that those correlations between boll shape and fibre quality apply only to the nine parents and the resultant hybrids in this study and do not imply a cause and effect relationship.     

陆地棉衣分差异群体产量及产量构成因素

 以衣分差异较大的陆地棉品种为材料,构建了包含188个F₂单株的作图群体,应用6111对SSR引物对亲本进行了分子标记筛选,结果仅获得了123个多态性位点,其中88个位点构建了总长为666.7 cM、平均距离为7.57 cM的遗传图谱,覆盖棉花基因组的14.9%。通过复合区间作图法对F₂单株和F_2∶3家系进行QTL检测,共鉴定出了18个控制产量及产量构成因素变异的QTLs,包括2个衣分QTLs、4个子棉产量QTLs、4个皮棉产量QTLs、2个衣指QTLs、3个单株铃数QTLs、2个铃重QTLs和1个子指QTL。 解释的表型变异分别为\{6.9%\}～16.9%、5.6%～16.2%、4.8%～15.6%、7.7%～13.3%、8.2%～11.6%、6.1%～7%和6.6%。不同QTLs在相同染色体区段上的成簇分布表明与产量性状相关的基因可能紧密连锁或一因多效。产量及产量构成因素QTLs的遗传方式主要以显性和超显性效应为主。检测到的主效QTLs可以用于棉花产量及产量构成因素的分子标记辅助选择。     

QTL mapping for agronomic and fibre traits using two interspecific chromosome substitution lines of Upland cotton

CS‐B14Sh and CS‐B22Sh are cotton interspecific chromosome substitution (CS)‐B lines, in which a pair of short arms of chromosome 14 and chromosome 22 were introgressed from Gossypium barbadense doubled‐haploid line 3‐79 with the background of Gossypium hirsutum line TM‐1, respectively. These two CS‐B lines were crossed with TM‐1, and segregating progenies (F₂ and F_2:3, respectively) were obtained. Phenotypic data of lint yield, yield‐related traits and fibre‐quality traits were collected from two trials. In the cross CS‐B14SH X TM‐1, QTL for boll weight (BW), lint percentage (LP), fibre upper half mean length (UHML), micronaire reading (MIC), and fibre breaking tensile strength (STR) were repeatedly detected. Alleles from 3‐79 decreased BW and MIC, but increased UHML and STR. In the cross CS‐B22Sh X TM‐1, QTL for BW, LP, UHML, MIC, STR, fibre elongation (EL),seed weight(SW), node of first fruiting branch (NFB) and fibre uniformity index (UI) were repeatedly detected, and alleles from 3‐79 decreased UHML, UI and STR, but increased NFB, SW, MIC and EL. QTL clusters were found in both populations.     

Effects of Rate and Time of Potassium Application on Cotton Yield and Quality in Turkey

Studies were conducted at Adana, in the Çukurova region of southern Turkey, to evaluate the effects of the rate and timing of application of soil‐applied potassium (K) on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in 1999 and 2000. Potassium rates of 0, 80, 160 and 240 kg K₂O ha^?1 were soil‐applied in single treatments (all at early boll development) or in split treatments (1/2 at first square and 1/2 at first white flower; 1/4 at first square, 1/4 at first white flower and 1/2 at early boll development). Data collected in the two years indicated that application of 160 kg K₂O ha^?1 produced significant differences in seed‐cotton yield, lint yield and boll weight compared with the untreated control. The best combination producing the greatest yield was application of 160 kg K₂O ha^?1 with all of the K soil‐applied at early boll development. Cotton yields did not respond to K fertilization above the rate of 160 kg K₂O ha^?1 under the production practices typically found in the region. For application of K at a rate of 240 kg K₂O ha^?1 there was a marked difference in fibre strength between years in this study, but micronaire and uniformity ratio were not different amongst K rates within each year. When the total amount of K was applied at early boll development, higher yields, boll weights and lint turnouts were obtained compared with split applications, but the single application did not have a large impact on fibre properties.     

Breeding high-yield upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) lines with high-quality fibre by mutation

The yield and fibre quality of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars are very difficult to improve simultaneously. Attempts to breed upland cotton cultivars with high-quality fibre that can spin more than 40 yarn count (Ne) and present yields equal to those of commercial cultivars have not been successful. The seeds of the high-yield upland cotton line Tai 8033 were mutagenized in a Chinese Practice No. 8 recoverable satellite, and the mutated line was selected to produce high-quality and high-yield lines by pedigree selection. The eight mutated lines fit the Chinese standard of high-quality cotton class I, were suitable for spinning more than 40 Ne and had yields that were 12.7%, 7.1% and 3.5% higher than the current control cultivar yield in the cotton cultivation area tested in Jiangsu Province. The fibre of one line successfully spun 80 Ne that fit the high-quality yarn standards. After seeds were mutagenized by exposure to a space environment in a satellite, the fibre quality of upland cotton cultivars was improved through pedigree selection.     

Combining ability estimates for yield and fibre quality traits in 4 × 13 line × tester crosses of Gossypium hirsutum

The aim of this study was to estimate the general combining ability of the parents and specific combining ability of hybrids considered for the development of high yielding and better quality cultivars. Seventeen genotypes and 52 F₁ hybrids obtained by crossing 4 lines and 13 testers in line × tester mating system during 2003 were sown in randomized complete block design in 2004. Line × Tester analysis revealed significant GCA and SCA effects for all the traits except fibre elongation. Preponderance of non-additive gene action was obtained for seed cotton yield per␣plant and majority of its component traits including fibre traits. Among the parents: PIL-8 for days to 50% flowering, CCH-526612 for boll weight, CITH-77 for number of open bolls per plant and CNH-36 for seed cotton yield per plant were detected with higher general combining ability. Parent, CCH-526612 for 2.5% span length, fibre strength and fibre elongation and AKH-9618 for micronaire value, fibre strength and fibre elongation were good combiners for fibre quality traits. The F₁s achieved high seed cotton yield by producing more number of open bolls. The high yielding hybrids with acceptable fibre quality traits were: CISV-24 × LH-1995, H-1242 × PIL-8 and RS-2283 × SGNR-2 deducted with significant SCA effects for seed cotton yield and fibre characteristics; 2.5% span length and fibre strength. These cross combinations involved at least one parent with high or average GCA effect for a particular trait.     

转RRM2和ACO2-E6基因棉花冠层特征和光合特性与产量形成的关系

为探明转基因棉花产量形成关键期的生理机制,2014―2015年以转RRM2基因棉花及其亲本中棉所12(CK1)、转ACO2-E6基因棉花及其亲本中棉所24(CK2)为材料,研究冠层特征、光合特性等与转基因棉花产量形成的关系,分析比较转基因棉花与亲本的生长发育、产量及其构成的差异。结果表明:转RRM2基因棉花的铃重、籽棉产量、皮棉产量、纤维上半部平均长度和断裂比强度均高于或显著高于中棉所12。转ACO2-E6基因棉花的衣分、籽棉产量、皮棉产量、纤维上半部平均长度和断裂比强度均高于或显著高于中棉所24。转基因棉花的籽棉产量与盛铃期的叶面积指数、光系统Ⅱ光化学量子产量、光系统Ⅱ最大光化学效率和可溶性总糖含量等分别呈显著的线性相关。转基因棉花的叶面积指数和可溶性总糖含量于产量形成关键期均高于或显著高于各自对照,且表现出较优的冠层结构以及较合理的源库比。     

陆地棉染色体片段代换系及F1皮棉产量与产量构成因素的相关和通径分析

探讨棉花染色体片段代换系皮棉产量与产量构成因素之间的相关关系,明确其产量育种的主攻方向,以1套陆地棉染色体片段代换系及F1为材料,采用相关与通径分析的方法,对5种环境条件下代换系亲本及F1的皮棉产量与产量构成因素进行分析。结果表明,产量构成因素的变异系数以铃数最大,铃重次之,衣分最小,且F1产量构成因素的变异系数在所有环境下均比代换系亲本要小。铃数、衣分及铃重与皮棉产量均呈正相关,除个别环境外均达到显著性水平,其与皮棉产量的相关和偏相关系数在代换系亲本中以铃数最大,而F1中则以衣分最大。衣分,铃数与皮棉产量的相关程度受环境影响小,而铃重受环境影响较大。除1种环境外,代换系亲本的直接通径系数以铃数最大,衣分次之,铃重最小,而F1中则以衣分最大,铃数次之,铃重最小;代换系亲本中各因素的间接通径系数均为正值,而F1中铃数与铃重相互之间的间接通径系数均为负值。材料类型和环境条件不同,其产量构成因素与皮棉产量的相关程度及贡献大小也存在较大差异。代换系亲本产量育种的主攻目标前期应该重在衣分,后期重在铃数,而F1则始终以提高衣分为主。     

棉花产量育种的数量性状分析

产量是棉花育种的主要目标之一，为提高棉花产量育种效率，本文从产量结构模式、产量与其构成因素的相关关系两方面，分析了与棉花产量育种有关的数量性状，并讨论了提高棉花产量遗传潜力的可能性     

Dissection of genetic effects of quantitative trait loci (QTL) in transgenic cotton

When alien DNA inserts into the cotton genome in a multicopy manner, several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in the cotton genome are disrupted; these are called dQTL in this study. A transgenic mutant line is near-isogenic to its recipient, which is divergent for the dQTL from the remaining QTLs. Therefore, a set of data from a transgenic QTL line mutated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (30074), its recipient and their F1 hybrids, and three elite lines were analyzed under a modified additive-dominance model with genotype × environment interactions in three different environments to separate the genetic effects due to dQTL from whole-genome effects. Our result showed that dQTL had significant additive effects on lint percentage, boll weight, and boll number per square meter, while it had little genetic association with fiber traits, seed cotton yield, and lint yield. The dQTL in 30074 significantly increased lint percentage and boll number, while significantly decreasing boll weight, having little effect on fibre traits, while those from the recipient and three elite lines showed significant genetic effects on lint percentage. In addition, the remaining QTL other than dQTL had significant additive effects on seed cotton yield, fruiting branch number, uniformity index, micronaire, and short fibre index, and significant dominance effects on seed cotton yield, lint yield, and boll number per square meter. The additive and dominance effects under homozygous and heterozygous conditions for each line are also predicted in this study.     

陆地棉株型性状对皮棉产量的遗传贡献分析

为阐明陆地棉主要株型性状对皮棉产量的贡献,采用加性-显性及与环境互作的遗传模型,利用估算条件方差分量和预测条件遗传效应值的统计方法对9个陆地棉品种（系）及其F1代20个组合皮棉产量和9个株型性状的2年资料进行了贡献分析。结果表明,9个株型性状对皮棉产量的表型贡献率分布在0.1%~11.1%之间。主茎节距、始果枝高、果节数对皮棉产量具有显著或极显著的加性遗传贡献率,分别为29.8%、6.2%和5.7%,果枝夹角对皮棉产量的加性遗传方差具有较大的抑制作用（-39.9%）;果节数对皮棉产量的显性遗传方差贡献率最高（57.8%）;主茎节距对皮棉产量有极显著的加性×环境互作遗传方差贡献率（17.7%）,其它株型性状对皮棉产量的加性×环境互作遗传方差、显性×环境互作遗传方差的贡献率较小或不显著。亲本2和4的果节数、亲本3、5和6的始果枝高、亲本7的主茎节距对其皮棉产量有最大的加性贡献,表明对皮棉产量加性效应贡献最大的株型性状因不同亲本而异。多数杂交组合皮棉产量的显性效应主要受果节数的影响,因此,果节数可作为间接选择皮棉产量显性效应的指标。     

Genetic variation and selection within glandless cotton germplasm

There is a renewed interest in research and use of glandless (free of gossypol) Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) that can produce edible seeds for human food and animal feed. However, there was a lack of information on yield potential of existing glandless germplasm since intermittent breeding activities for glandless cotton were stopped in the U.S. before 2000. The objectives of the present study were to test obsolete and exotic glandless germplasm for possible production and evaluate progress in direct pedigree selection within the existing glandless germplasm in eight field tests. In multiple tests, the glandless cotton Acala GLS yielded only 65–80 % lint of the glanded control Acala 1517-08 and 46–75 % lint of commercial transgenic cultivars. Most of obsolete glandless germplasm and their selections yielded <70 % of Acala 1517-08 and only three selections yielded 82–89 % of the control. Genetic variation in yield and fiber quality traits was seen from significant differences between selections within the same glandless germplasm, indicating the existence of residual genetic variation. Most importantly, three selections from exotic glandless germplasm out-yielded Acala 1517-08 by 4–9 %, one of which had desirable fiber quality traits. These promising glandless lines with comparable yields to commercial cotton make it possible to revitalize the glandless cotton industry. More field tests will be needed to evaluate their yield potential and adaptability in the U.S. Cotton Belt.     

Genetic effects and heterosis of within-boll yield components in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Within-boll yield components are the most basic contributors to lint and seed yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), which is a major source of natural fiber and edible oil throughout the world. Little information is available on genetic effects and heterosis of these traits in cotton. Three cotton cultivars and six breeding lines differing in within-boll yield components were used for this study. Parents and their F₁ progeny with reciprocals from a 3×6 factorial mating design were grown at Jiangxi Agricultural University experimental farm in 2008 and 2009. Seven within-boll yield components and two boll bur characters were analyzed under an additive-dominance genetic model with genotype and environment interaction. Additive effects were significant for all traits and dominance effects were significant for all traits except seed mass per seed. Genetic variances for lint mass per seed, SM/S and boll bur weight were primarily additive variances ranging from 39.6 to 58.9 %. Lint mass per boll and seed number per boll variances were primarily due to dominance genetic effects ranging from 36.4 to 48.8 %. Dominance and additive effects were equally important for boll weight, seed mass per boll and boll bur percentage. Additive and additive × environment effects were more important than other effects for lint percentage. A802-1 had the best mean performance and additive effects increasing BW, SM/B, S/B and SM/S, but reduced LP and LM/S. A9-1 and Lu40534 had additive effects associated with increasing LP. The two crosses A9-1×Lu40534 and Tezsh×33B were detected with favorable heterozygous dominant effects and heterosis over best parent for BW, LP, LM/B, SM/B and S/B. Favorable genotypic and phenotypic correlations were identified between within-boll lint yield components (LM/B, LM/S) and within-boll seed yield components (SM/B, S/B, SM/S). These results indicate that simultaneous genetic improvement of multiple within-boll yield components can be expected in breeding populations derived from these cotton cultivars and breeding lines.     

Seed Shattering of Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen)

Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is a semi‐domesticated relative of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) with high nutritious quality. It is tolerant to frost, drought, saline soils and pests. One seed yield limitation is seed loss during the maturity stages. Two greenhouse experiments in Denmark and field experiments in Bolivia were carried out to determine seed shattering in landraces and cultivars with different growth habits. 15–21 % of the seed shattering in the fields took place whilst the plants still were flowering and 25–35 % during physiological maturity. Seed shattering varied between locations on the Bolivian Altiplano. Cañahua types with the semi‐prostrate growth (‘lasta’) had the highest seed shattering rate in the greenhouse experiments. The Umacutama landrace had lower seed shattering (1 %) than the cultivar Kullaca (7.2 %) both of the ‘lasta’ type. Under field conditions, the cultivar Illimani with the erect growth (‘saihua’) had the highest seed shattering rate (6.4–33.7 %) at both locations and at four different sowing dates. The Umacutama had the lowest rate (0.5–1.5 %). There were no significant differences between plants of the ‘lasta’ and the ‘saihua’ types. The landrace had significantly less seed loss than the cultivars. However, in the greenhouse, the landrace yield was approximately 25 % lower than the yields of the cultivars. In general, cañahua cultivars had higher yield compared to landraces, but also a higher seed shattering rate. Landraces may be used in breeding programmes to develop high‐yielding cultivars with reduced seed shattering.     

Genetic control of alfalfa seed yield and its components

Seed yield is of little agronomic importance in alfalfa (lucerne) but is critical in the marketing of varieties. In order to develop breeding criteria, the quantitative genetics of seed yield components must be studied. The objective of this study was (1) to evaluate combining ability for seed yield and its components and (2) to estimate the genetic control of these same characters. A 7 × 7 diallel mating design, including reciprocals, among parents from different varieties, and a 7 × 7 factorial design within the ‘Flamande’ population were evaluated. In the diallel design, where the progenies were evaluated over two growing seasons, a high genotype effect was found for seed yield and its components while genotype × year interaction was only significant for seed yield per plant. General combining ability (GCA) effects explained most of the variation due to genotype effect. Specific combining ability (SCA) and reciprocal effects were only significant for seed yield per plant. ‘Europe‐1’, ‘Rival‐5’ and ‘Medalfa‐7’ were the most promising parents, conferring the highest GCA for most of the characters evaluated, especially for seed weight per inflorescence. In the factorial design, seed weight per pod was the only character for which the year effect was not significant. Male and female effects were significant for all characters and these effects were larger than the male × female interaction variance for all the characters. These results were stable over the 2 years for most characters. Additive variance was larger than dominance variance, for all traits. This resulted in high narrow‐sense heritabilities, especially for seed yield per plant, seed weight per inflorescence and number of seeds per pod. Seed weight per inflorescence and number of seeds per inflorescence were highly correlated with seed yield per plant among the full‐sib (FS) families, in both experiments. Increase in seed yield potential in alfalfa could be achieved by the use of seed weight per inflorescence as a selection criterion.     

我国现有4个陆地棉主栽品种的遗传评价

用数量遗传学研究的方法对我国目前４个陆地棉主栽品种的育种利用价值作了遗传评价。结果显示，泗棉３号在籽棉产量方面，苏棉６号在籽棉产量、皮棉产量、衣分方面具有较高的一般配合力效应，为较理想的新品种选育的亲本材料。通过特殊配合力方差分析，中棉所１２号，苏棉６号在铃重、果枝方面具有较高的特殊配合力方差，以此为亲本，可以筛选到高优势组合，上述分析表明，苏棉６号不仅是一个高产抗病的新品种，并且也是一个较为理想