Bilal Ayub*1, Muhammad Mubashir Asim1, Swaiba Rani1, Naghina Kanwal1 and Awais Tariq1
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: bilalsunny479@gmail.com
Cotton is a major industrial fiber crop that is extensively grown worldwide and has a big impact on the political and socioeconomic problems that many nations face. That’s why there is a dire need to develop cotton varieties with high fiber quality. The study will determine the combining ability effects of parental lines and crosses in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) using line × tester mating design. The four lines Kehkashan, Tarzen, BS-80, CRS-2, and four testers MNH-998, NS-131, AGC-2, and KZ-191 were crossed in line tester fashion to study the genetic analysis of different fiber quality traits in cotton. Four lines were crossed with four testers at the time of flowering in line × tester design in the glass house. Eight parents and 16 crosses (F1) were grown in the field with three replications using a randomized complete block design. A significant GCA result was observed for Kehkashan and BS-80, showing that both lines combine well for fiber strength. Among testers, KZ-191 showed a highly significant GCA effect for fiber fineness, while MNH-998 showed highly significant GCA effects for fiber strength and fiber elongation. Tester NS-131 emerged as a good general combiner for fiber maturity and fiber elongation. The results showed that germplasm has the potential for the development of cotton varieties, and may be used in cotton breeding programs.