The increase in the population at the global level necessitates to explore promising approaches to increase food supply, including protein and oil, to meet the needs of the people. Cotton is one of the most important oil producing crops and cottonseed meal provides important protein nutrients as animal feed. However, information on the genetic basis of cottonseed oil and protein contents is lacking. In this study; protein contents, oil and fatty acid composition of 124 cotton genotypes were observed for developing new cultivars. Accelerated Solvent Extraction method used for determining fat ratio; Gas Chromatography employed for fatty acid analysis while protein contents were analyzed by Kjeldahl method. Average crude oil 31.0%, total fat contents varied from 23.11 to 37.70% while mean protein content 38.0% were observed among genotypes. The dominating fatty acids included linoleic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid (46.91, 25.73 and 20.21%) respectively, while linolenic acid (0.13%), γ-linolenic (0.33%), palmitoleic acid (0.64%), myristic acid (0.88%), nervonic acid (1%) and stearic acid (2.38%) had variations in fatty acid contents. Frequency distribution of the parameters showed a normal distribution and differences among genotypes for the traits studied were statistically highly significant. Prinicipal component analysis showed a complex opposite relationship with a total protein and oil contents. Genotypes; Fantom for protein, Cirpan 60 for total crude oil, Stoneville 468 and YB195 for higher amount of fatty acids especially oleic acid; can be used for improvement of cottonseed quality in breeding programs.

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Molecular characterization provides comprehensive information about the extent of genetic diversity, it assists for the development of an efective, highly accurate, and rapid marker-assisted coton breeding program. Due to one of the world s leading iber crops, molecular studies of coton are being explored widely by coton researchers. Coton provides raw material to the textile industry among other products. Limitations in conventional breeding program for genetic improvement are due to the complexity and limited knowledge on economically important traits. The use of molecular markers for the detection and exploitation of DN" polymorphism is one of the most signiicant developments in molecular genetics. In the present scenerio, coton molecular breeding has become a reliable source through the study and exploitation of its genetic diversity and due to beter understanding of the coton genomes using the next-generation sequencing technologies. Coton breeders should utilize genomics in breeding programs for efective selection of best parents for agronomic and iber-related traits, as well as for the development of resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. The genomic research work could be based upon genotyping using DN" markers, quantitative trait loci mapping, genome-wide associations, and next-generation sequencing. The objective of this chapter is to describe evolution as well as utilization of various molecular markers and review the contribution of marker-assisted selection (M"S) in coton breeding.

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