Progress and perspective on cotton breeding in Pakistan

Abstract

Cotton is the prime natural fiber with economic significance globally. Cotton farming and breeding have a long history in Pakistan. The development of high yielding upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) varieties gradually replaced the cultivation of diploid Gossypium species. Climate change along with emergence of new epidemic diseases caused yield loss in recent years. The biotic stress considerably reduced the performance and yield potential of cotton. Suitable breeding strategies are essential to generate useful genetic variations and to identify desired traits. Conventional breeding has remarkably increased cotton yield and fiber quality, which has cultivated the NIAB-78, S-12, MNH‐786, and FH‐Lalazar like cultivars. However, this phenotypic selection based breeding method has low efficiency to produce stress resilient cotton. The efficiency of traditional breeding has significantly improved by the marker assisted selection technology. Breakthroughs in molecular genetics, bioinformatics analysis, genetic engineering, and genome sequencing have opened new technique routes for cotton breeding. In addition, genetic improvement through quantitative trait loci, transcriptome, and CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genomic editing can provide suitable platform to improve the resistance to stresses induced by bollworms, cotton leaf curl virus, heat, drought, and salt. The approval of transgenic lines harboring triple gene Cry1Ac + Cry2A + GTG are critical for cotton crop. This review has critically discussed the progress and limitations of cotton breeding in Pakistan, and reviewed the utilization of novel genetic variations and selection tools for sustainable cotton production.

Impact of Salt Stress on Cotton

“…MAS is a molecular breeding approach that involves selecting plants based on molecular markers that are linked to desirable traits. MAS can be used to select cotton plants with desirable salt stress tolerance traits (Shahzad et al,2022).…”

Advancing cotton breeding through SSR marker-assisted genetic purity evaluation: Insights from inter-specific cotton hybrid Phule Ekta

“…Hybridity testing is essential in cotton breeding, ensuring the purity and authenticity of hybrid seeds before distribution to farmers [22] . This process is crucial because hybrid seeds offer improved traits such as higher yield, better fibre quality, and increased resistance to pests and diseases compared to their parent lines [23] . By verifying the genetic purity of hybrid seeds, cotton breeders ensure that farmers receive high-quality seeds with consistent and desirable characteristics, leading to enhanced crop performance and profitability [24] .…”

Morphological and physio-biochemical responses under heat stress in cotton: Overview

“…The sensitivity of plants to climate variability and change is determined by the length and severity of the heat stress [ 7 ]. Additionally, the stress level is directly associated with water deficiency, which could be aggravated even more by restricted and unpredictable water supplies in cotton-growing areas [ 8 ]. The availability of genetic heterogeneity inside a genus is required for a breeding effort to generate cultivars resistant to heat stress (M. M. [ 9 ]).…”