Yield and fiber quality traits study in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) using line × tester analysis.

Abstract

Cotton provides a living for 25 million Pakistanis and a major raw material for textile sector which accounts for 75% of the fiber mix in textile industry products. Fiber yield and quality are very crucial parameters for a cotton breeding program. Five varieties namely FH-414, FH-415, FH-490, FH-492, and FH-ANMOL were used as lines and crossed with three testers namely NIAB- SANAM, CIM-602, and EYE-111 during the year 2019-20. Data was recorded for plant height (PH), number of monopodial branches (MB), number of sympodial branches (SB), number of bolls/plant (BP), boll weight (BW), ginning out turn (GOT), fiber fineness (FF), fiber length (FL), fiber strength (FS) and seed cotton yield (SCY). FH-414 proved to have very good GCA for BW and FL. FH-415 showed good GCA for FL and monopodial branches. Similarly, FH-490 for GOT and FF, FH-492 for SB, BW, BP and SCY. FH-ANMOL proved best combiner for, SB, BP, and SCY. CIM-602 was good combiner for BP, SB, BW, GOT, FS and SCY. EYE-111 found to be a good combiner for BP, GOT, and FF. The hybrid FH-415 × CIM-602 showed good SCA for MB and FH-ANMOL × EYE-111 for SB. For bolls/plant (BP) FH-492 × EYE-111, for boll weight (BW) FH-ANMOL × EYE-111, for GOT FH-415 × EYE-111, for fiber fineness (FF) FH-414 × EYE-111, for fiber length (FL) FH-92 × NIAB-SANAM, for fiber strength (FS) FH-414 × CIM-602 and for seed cotton yield (SCY) FH-492 × EYE-111 proved to be very good hybrid. These results indicated that these lines and testers have desired variability to exploit in the traits which were investigated.