Selection of <i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> genotypes for interspecific introgression from <i>G. arboreum</i> using ovule culture

Abstract

Ovule culture is one of the techniques currently used to introgress desirable traits from Gossypium arboreum germplasm into G. hirsutum cultivars. Twenty-six (26) G. hirsutum breeding lines were used as female parents in crosses with five G. arboreum accessions to determine if the G. hirsutum parent influenced the germination and recovery of plants from ovule culture. Variation in boll weight and the number of ovules per boll was observed for crosses with the G. hirsutum lines, but heavier bolls and a greater number of ovules per boll were not associated with a higher germination rate. Ovules derived from crosses with 16 G. hirsutum lines showed germination. Plants were recovered for seven of these lines (Acala GLS, DES 56, DES 119, Deltapine 50, Stoneville 132, Stoneville 506 and Stoneville 825) with vigorous growing plants derived from four crosses (DES 119 x PI 408763, Stoneville 506 x PI 408763, Acala GLS x PI 529779, and DES 119 x PI 615699). The breeding line DES 119 showed a better success rate and typically produced smaller bolls with fewer ovules. However, results would suggest the G. arboreum accessions had a greater influence on the success rate compared to the G. hirsutum lines.

Keywords: Cotton, germplasm, immature embryo, tissue culture, wide-hybridization.