Utilization of Introduced Cotton Germplasm in Varietal Development in India

Abstract

Cotton, jute and allied fibers are the important Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kamataka commercial crops of India. Among these cotton is the and Tamil Nadu. major fiber crop of global significance and is cultivated There has been aliberal exchange ofcotton germplasm in tropical and sub-tropical regions of more than 80 during the last 20 years. Cotton improvement programme countries of the world. There is a rich germplasm wealth in India has made an efficient use of introduced genetic of wild species and related genera of cotton. These resources in development of cultivars including hybrids. include four cultivated species, 50 wild species, and Interspecific hybridization among the cultivated varieties large number of weedy races, hybrids, polyploids and and wild species followed by backcrossing has been their derivatives. The major collection of cotton extensively used to introgress genes controlling the germplasm in the world is in United States of America expression of the desirable traits