ORAL PRESENTATIONS

World Cotton Research Conference on Technologies for Prosperity 3

Concurrent Session 1 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF FIBRE

Abstract No. Oral–1

DYNAMICS OF TRANSCRIPTOME AND PROTEOME DURING COTTON FIBER DEVELOPMENT

S. Kumar1, K.V. Padmalatha2, A. Das1, S. Leelavathi1, D.P. Patil1, R. Pathak1, V. Rajamani1, P.S. Reddy1, M. Kanakachari2, P.A. Kumar2, A.H. Prakash3,

H.M. Vamdevaiah4, I.S. Katageri4, M.K. Reddy1 and V.S. Reddy1 1International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi

2National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 3Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur

4University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India

Cotton is the major source of natural textile fibre and oil. Also cotton seed meal is widely used as animal feed and fertilizer. Development of cotton fibre is complex and highly regulated biological process, also influenced by biotic and abiotic stress factors. Many approaches are being developed to understand this process at the genome level which would be of great importance to breeders and biologists. In the present study we have carried out a large scale analysis of the structural and functional genome at proteome and transcriptome levels to understand the fibre development process. The study involves a multidimensional approach involving high throughput and hyphenated principles to reveal the proteome dynamics during development, followed by orthogonal /simultaneous validation of the same using Microarray and qRT PCR based strategies. In addition, a comparative analysis involving fibre-mutant was done to identify the genes that are expressed in a stage specific manner. Also we have investigated the effect of abiotic stress (water deficit) on the genome response during fibre initiation, elongation and secondary cell wall synthesis. We will present our data showing the dynamics of fibre transcriptome and proteome during various phases of fibre development.


VALIDATION OF SSR MARKERS LINKED TO FIBRE TRAITS IN COTTON

S.G. Savita, Harikrishna, S. Barkeer, S. Anupama, P. Sangannavar, H.M. Vamadevaiah, B.M. Khadi, R. Patil and I.S. Katageri

University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India

The advent of many molecular markers and MAS technology offers many potential benefits to a breeding programme. In general, most of the studies have been diverted towards the development of linkage maps and QTL maps showing the association between various markers and QTLs governing fiber traits. But the studies showing the validation of these markers to confirm a reported association between DNA marker alleles and the trait of interest are lacking. The present study was conducted to validate the SSR markers in cotton which were already reported to be linked to fiber related traits like fiber length, fiber strength, fiber fineness and fiber elongation. A total of 124 SSR markers were selected based on the exhaustive literature survey, to screen the parents for polymorphism. The two agronomically diverse parents included in the present study were Sahana (G. hirsutum) and Suvin (G. barbadense). A total of 29 primers which showed polymorphism between the parents were used to genotype the F2 population derived from crossing between these two parents. The F2 population showed considerable amount of phenotypic variability for all fiber related traits. The segregation data were tested for deviation from the expected Mendelian ratio (1:2:1) using Chi-square test (<1%). Based on this, four SSR markers were assessed to be significant and remaining were non-significant. Single marker analysis performed on the phenotypic and genotypic data of F2 plants strongly associated (<1%) these four SSR markers to different fiber traits. The SSR marker NAU 3499 was found to be associated with fiber strength. Similarly markers like NAU 3562b, BNL 2652 and NAU 2238 were found to be associated with fiber length, fiber fineness and fiber elongation respectively.

4 World Cotton Research Conference on Technologies for Prosperity


CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE SYNTHASE GENES FROM Arabidopsis thaliana

G. Balasubramani, J. Amudha, S. Sahare and K.R. Kranthi Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

Fibre strength is the highest priority for mills using open-end rotor and friction spinning. The isolation of plant cDNA clones encoding cotton homolog of the bacterial cellulose synthase catalytic subunit is a significant achievement, which promises the elucidation of cellulose biosynthesis. Two cDNA clones of the bacterial celA genes that encode the catalytic subunit of cellulose synthase are GhcesA-1 and GhcesA2 that are highly expressed at the onset of secondary wall when the rate of cellulose synthesis in vivo raises over 1000 fold. These genes have been believed to possess four conserved sub domains critical for catalysis and /or binding of substrate UDP glucose. New insights into biochemistry of cellulose biosynthesis and identifying of different subunits of GhCesA-1 and GhCesA-2 complex are likely to stem from Arabidopsis cellulose biosynthetic mutants such as radial swelling1 (rsw1) and their homologues of cotton. Therefore, in the present investigation attempts were made to clone the cellulose related genes viz., rsw1, and AthA from Arabidopsis, which brings about rapid conversion of carbon to UDP glucose to facilitate the synthesis of cellulose and /or callose as energy-efficient process. The full length sequence of AthA (5.3 kb) and Rsw-1 (6.0 kb) genes were amplified from A. thaliana, cloned into pJET 1.2 /blunt vector, transformed in E. coli (DH5 Alpha) and sequenced. BLAST analysis showed homology to the extent of 99% with CesA2 (AthA) gene (Gene Bank Acc. No. FJ 687279). For promoters that would facilitate expression of gene in secondary wall synthesis (16-40DPA) phase, inverse primers were designed to amplify upstream regulatory region in G. hirsutum cultivar, which yielded ~1.8kb amplicon (Gene Bank Acc. No. HM 142347), which showed similarity with CesA4 promoter region. This loom for enhancing high fibre strength coupled with other desirable traits in genotypes through transgenic approach to meet the requirement of modern textile industry.


IDENTIFICATION OF GENES RESPONSIBLE FOR FIBRE ELONGATION DURING EARLY COTTON FIBRE DEVELOPMENT BY SUPPRESSION SUBTRACTIVE HYBRIDIZATION

T.C. Mohan, S.G. Savita, S. Barkeer, B. Varada, H.M. Vamadevaiah, B.M. Khadi and I.S. Katageri


Cotton seed fibres are single-celled trichomes that differentiate from the outermost cell layer (protoderm) of the ovule. The productivity as well as the quality of cotton lint depends mainly on fibre initiation and fibre elongation. The cellular activities that characterize each stage of fiber morphogenesis are governed by master switches in the developmental program that results in dynamic changes in the cotton fiber transcriptome. To know the genes involved in fiber elongation, we performed subtractive PCR using cDNA prepared from 10 days post anthesis of G. arboreum control (fibered) as tester and cDNA from G. arboreum fibreless mutant as iver. Subtracted PCR products were cloned, and 1056 random clones were sequenced. The obtained 801 quality ESTs were assembled into contigs using codon code aligner, from which 313 unique ESTs and 118 contigs (431 ESTs) were found. Further blast analysis was carried out for these 431 ESTs in the NCBI data base for homology study and we found that 186 clone sequences were annotated, 53 clone sequences were hypothetical proteins and 192 clone sequences were novel (Unknown). Real time RT-PCR was performed using 60 annotated genes and qPCR analysis showed that 12 genes were differentially expressed. Genes like beta-galactosidase, big map kinase, ribosomal protein s8, cytochrome oxidase subuint1, glycosyltransferases were found to be upregulated in tester (normal fibre genotype) when compared to iver (fibreless mutant). We believe that elucidation of expression patterns for all the genes involved in early fibre development is a prerequisite to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling this important process and will ultimately provide novel target genes for improvement of fibre length and strength as well as other qualities of industrial applications.



GENOME WIDE TRANSCRIPTOME ANALYSIS OF FUZZLESS-LINTLESS MUTANT COTTON (G. hirsutum L. cv. MCU 5) DURING FIBRE ELONGATION

K. Mogilicherla, Dhandapani G., Padmalatha K.V., Liji C., Saravanan Kumar, D.P. Patil, A. Das, S. Leelavathi, I.S. Katageri, M.K. Reddy,

A.U. Solanke, V.S. Reddy and P.A. Kumar National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, International Centre for Genetic Engineering,

New Delhi, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India

Cotton is one of the most important fibre crops in the world. G. hirsutum is the most widely cultivated species and accounts for more than 90% of the world cotton lint production. In the present study genome wide transcriptome analysis was carried out using Affymetrix GeneChip cotton Genome array to understand the genes involving in fibre development by comparing fuzzless-lintless mutant (MCU5) with its isogenic line cv. MCU5. Four fibre development stages [2, 5, 10 and 15 days post anthesis (dpa)] were selected for transcriptome analysis. Total RNA was extracted from ovules of mutant and fibre bearing ovules of wild type plants from 2, 5, 10 and 15 dpa stages. Microarray experiments were carried out by following Affymetrix protocols. Differential gene expression analysis was done using Genespring software 11.0. Transcript with p-value 0.01 and fold change 3.0 were considered as differentially expressed transcripts. A total of 641 (110 up /531down), 474 (41 up /433 down), 2,727 (1,164 up /1,563 down) and 824 (366 up /458 down) transcripts were differentially expressed in mutant plant as compared to normal plant at 2, 5, 10 and 15 dpa, respectively. More number of transcripts was down-regulated in mutant plants during initial fibre elongation stages (2 dpa to 5 dpa). Around 154 transcripts were commonly down regulated among fibre development stages. Transcripts encoding alcohol dehyogenase 2b, arabinogalactan protein 2, fibre protein GLP1 (Glp1), endo-xyloglucan transferase, alpha-expansin 1, proline-rich protein (PRP5), long chain fatty acid elongation enzyme (xl1 gene), aquaporin gamma-TIP, cytochrome P450-like protein (cyP450 gene), alpha-tubulin (TubA2), endo-xyloglucan transferase, acyltransferase-like protein (ACY), zinc finger (C2H2 type) family protein, TCH4 (TOUCH 4), heat shock protein 81-1, pectate lyase, profilin and fasciclin-like arabinogalactan protein 19 (FLA19) were highly downregulated during fibre development stages in mutant plant. Functional classification and pathway analysis will be carried out to identify the candidate genes which are involved in the fibre development.


Concurrent Session 2 GENETIC ENHANCEMENT


DIVERGENT SELECTION FOR FIBER QUALITY TRAITS IN COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

P. Michalakopoulos, C. Goulas, A. Katsiotis and S. Rangasamy Agricultural University of Athens, Greece

The existence of genetic variability and the definition of its nature (additive, non-additive, etc.) are necessary for the decision upon the most effective breeding methodology, regarding the creation of the desired variety. The first and, by far, simplest approach is that of divergent selection (high vs low yield or desired vs undesired genotypes, in general). Its planning permits information retrieval regarding the existence of genetic variability and the heredity mode of the specific trait. Furthermore, it provides information on the response to the selection as well as on indirect changes in traits indirectly selected. The purpose of the present study was to examine the potential use of specific genetic material in planning and implementing a breeding program for fiber quality traits of upland cotton. The genetic material used consisted of seven commercial varieties; five cultivated in Greece and two in India. The experiments were conducted during five cultivation periods following randomized complete blocks (RCB) with four replications. In year 2003, crosses were performed using as a common parent one of the varieties cultivated in Greece. During year 2004, the F1 hybrids were backcrossed to their parental progenitors. During year 2005, bilateral selection in the F2 generation was performed for fiber quality traits. One huned individual plants, using a grid mass selection scheme, were analyzed (10 grids and 10 plants per grid). The selected F3 and F4 populations were analyzed during the subsequent (2006 and 2007) cultivation periods, respectively. Variance among F2 plants, for fiber quality traits, in the bilateral mass selection, was larger than among the parents for almost all crosses. In terms of fiber quality, genotypes with the best fiber quality traits (HQ) and the lowest fiber quality traits (LQ) were differentiated in terms of fiber-length in five and in three out of the six crosses in years 2006 and 2007, respectively. Uniformity differences were observed in five crosses in 2006 and two in 2007 while differences in fiber strength and micronaire were observed in four crosses for both years of analysis.


IDENTIFICATION OF RESISTANCE SOURCE FOR BACTERIAL BLIGHT DISEASE CAUSED BY Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Malvacearum

AND ITS GENETIC INHERITANCE IN UPLAND COTTON

G.V. Shelke, L.P. Aurangabadkar, A.R. Kashikar, S.R. Wadyalkar, M.S. Phalak, H.H. Kharkar and G.V. Umalkar

Ankur Seeds Pvt. Ltd. Nagpur-440018

Cotton bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum (Xam) is most destructive bacterial disease of upland cotton found all over cotton growing areas. To identify the Xam races, isolates were collected from different cotton growing areas and inoculated on ten cotton differentials. Among these isolates four races viz. race 6, 8, 15 and 18 were identified. In kharif 2007-08 total 68 cotton genotypes were screened against most virulent race 18 by syringe infiltration method and two genotypes viz. Ca /H-631 and Ca /H-2046 were found highly resistant. For genetic inheritance study of bacterial blight resistance, Ca /H-631 and Ca /H-2046 were crossed with highly susceptible genotypes viz. Ca /H-658 and Ca /H-551. The resultant F1’s were inoculated with the race 18 and the same were found resistant, indicating the dominant nature of the gene. In kharif 2010, total 500 plants of each F2’s were grown and screened for bacterial blight resistance. The segregation fits in 3:1 ratio for resistance to susceptible. The same populations were also screened with published markers and found perfect correlation between phenotype and genotype generated by the markers, indicating the resistance is governed by single dominant gene.



DEVELOPMENT OF NATURALLY COLORED Gossypium hirsutum COTTON GENOTYPES SUITABLE FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY THROUGH GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

M.S. Maralappanavar1, S.S. Patil2, V.V. Kulkarni3, Somshekhar1, C. Madhura4, K. Narayanan1, K.J. Sanapapamma1 and J.V. Vastrad1

1UAS, Dharwad, 2UAS, Raichur, 3IIHR, Bengalur, 4CIRCOT, Dharwad, India

Broad use of natural coloured cottons is not effective yet due to their poor fiber quality and limited range of natural colours. The low yielding, short fibered coloured cottons were not suitable for machine spinning, therefore they failed to face the rapid industrial turnover. Off late attention is diverted to study the possibility for using these eco cottons commercially but very few systematic studies and reports are available on the breeding programmes. We report breeding efforts made to improve the naturally coloured G. hirsutum cotton genotypes with respect to yield and fiber quality through intraspecific, interspecific and three way crosses between colored and superior white genotypes followed by selections independently in three populations. Stable genotypes with uniform color and high yield potential and improved fiber qualities were developed. Eight of the 32 advanced colored genotypes in three populations tested under three replicated trials were superior to white linted check, Sahana (2138 kg /ha) for seed cotton yield. Three of these, dark brown (DDB 12 with 2986 kg /ha seed cotton yield), medium brown (DMB 225 with 2934 kg /ha) and green (DGC 78 with 1381 kg /ha) were potential for seed cotton yield and quality in the respective colour. The genotype DDB 12 had 21.6 mm fiber length and 18.6 g /tex strength; DMB 225 medium brown, had 22.9 mm and 20.4 g /tex while green linted DCG 78 had 25.8 mm and 22. 2g /tex, span length and strength respectively. They were suitable for mill spinning and produced eco-fabrics of commercially acceptable range. The simultaneous development of medium, dark brown and green shades along with white cotton will help in the creation of variability for the textile industry. There is a need to further improve the fibre properties and efforts are being made using the stable colour cotton lines developed in the present study and crossing with superior white cultivars for introgression and selection.


DEVELOPMENT OF RECOMBINANT INBRED LINES FOR FIBRE QUALITY AND OTHER IMPORTANT TRAITS IN Gossypium hirsutum L

J. Singh, B. Choudhary, P. Srivastava, S. Tiwari and Mukesh Kumar Sharma Indian Agricultrural Research Institute, New Delhi, India

Research work was initiated at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi to develop genotypes having high yield and superior fibre quality. These efforts resulted into development of the strain P 56-4 for high fibre strength. During 5 year (2003-04 to 2007-08) mean fibre strength of Pusa 56-4 was 27.8 g /tex. It showed 28.4mm 2.5% span length, 3.9 micronaire, 51.7% fibre uniformity and 6.2% elongation. The variety RS 2013 showed 19.5g /tex fibre strength, 24.5 mm length and 4.8 micronaire value. P 56-4 and RS 2013 were crossed at IARI, N. Delhi during 2004 to develop F2 mapping population and RILs for fibre quality and other important traits. Randomly selected 299 single plants from F2 population were phenotyped for fibre quality traits, seed cotton yield and important yield components. These single plants were advanced to F3, F4 and F5 generations following single seed descent method through selfing and were evaluated for fibre quality, seed cotton yield and important yield components during 2007 to 2009. Fibre strength ranged from 18.1 g /tex to 33.1 g /tex in F2; 18.8 g /tex to 27.9 g /tex in F3, 20.0 g /tex to 30.7 g /tex in F4 and 18.0g /tex to 27.9 g /tex in F5 generation. Fibre length ranged from 22.7 mm to 30.6 mm in F2; 22.6 mm to 30.6 mm in F3, 23.5 mm to 31.9 mm in F4 and 21mm to 31.8mm in F5. Likewise wide variation was observed for micronaire value, uniformity ratio and elongation% in 4 generations. Seed cotton yield per plant varied from 22.0g to 196.3g in F2, 25.2g to 193.1g in F3, 21.5g to 581.4g in F4 and 7.4g to 342.8g in F5 generations. Likewise boll weight and ginning outturn also showed wide variation. Thus the RILs developed from the cross Pusa 56-4 x RS 2013, 153 presents valuable genetic variation for fibre quality traits, seed cotton yield and important yield components. The data also indicated good scope for combining high yield and superior fibre quality in G. hirsutum cotton.



CREATING NOVEL DIVERSITY, IDENTIFICATION OF GOOD VARIETIES AND USING COMPREHENSIVE METHODS FOR THEIR FURTHER USE

IN HYBRID RESEARCH—AN EXERCISE IN Gossypium hirsutum L.

R. Patil, Bharathkumar, K. Pawar, S. Ashtaputre, I. Katageri, B. Khadi, B. Patil, S. Patil and l. Shekhar


Cotton breeding is a continuous endeavour always aiming to produce better genotypes and hybrids. The present exercise involved choosing the F1 hybrids, (from national trials), as parents and then employing methods to assess the diversity produced in the F5 segregants leading to the identification of elite lines which can get in to further hybrid research. The two part study spanning a period of five years began in 2007-08 and was initiated with an objective to isolate superior Gossypium hirsutum genotypes with reference to yield and fibre properties from double crosses whose F1 parents were chosen for their diversity and superior traits. Segregants from a three-way cross and respective single cross parents of double crosses were included in the study. One huned and fifteen were 115 lines awn from five double cross, one three-way cross and six single cross hybrids in F5 were evaluated in an augmented design during kharif 2010-11. Observations on eleven morphological and five physiological traits were recorded. Five genotypes viz., Line-632, Line-131, Line-642, Line-1151 and Line-1101 had better yields from 8.90 to 21.77% increase over best check Sahana. Line-632 had the highest seed cotton yield of 21.70 q /ha which was 21.77% better than Sahana (17.82 q /ha). It also had superior fibre length. These genotypes need to be tested extensively for release as new varieties. The next line of work would be to use these lines in hybrid research. This formed the second part of the study. As a first step, the diversity generated was assessed through K-means clustering. Seven clusters were formed accommodating the 115 lines. The second step was to employ a simple method called Path-of-productivity analysis to identify the different paths the top 12 lines took towards producing higher yields. As expected, they did have differences in their paths to higher yield attributable to their differential genetic make up. In addition, these 12 genotypes fell in five different clusters identified in the previous step. Considering both tests, 10 genotypes were finally identified to be included in a diallel to pave way for hybrid research. Lines- 632, 131, 642, 1151, 11101, 1081, 531, 391, 8141, and 12111 were the chosen genotypes. A good hybrid is now more likely to result from this exercise which would have then justified the choice of material and methods used in the present study.


Concurrent Session 3 EFFICACY OF GENE STACKS


EFFICACY OFF WIDESTRIKE INSECT PROTECTED COTTON FROM DOW AGROSCIENCES IN ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, MEXICO,

SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES

G. Thompson, A. Santos, L. Aviles and R. Moudgal Dow Agro Sciences, USA

WideStrike is a breeding stack of Cry 1F (event 281-24-236) and Cry 1Ac (event 3006-210-23) that has been deregulated in Australia, Brazil and the United States. It has also been tested for efficacy in Argentina, Mexico and Spain. This paper reports on the efficacy against a range of target pests in these diverse environments. The primary commercial success to date has been in the U.S. where Dow AgroSciences participates in the cotton seed business via Phytogenâ„¢ cotton Seeds. In the U.S. it has performed as well as Bollguardâ„¢ II against heliothine pests. It is also effective against Spodoptera spp., Pectinophora gossypiella and Pseudoplusia includes. WideStrike also qualified for the no or natural refuge option in the U.S. due to its dual mode of action. WideStrike in the U.S. has had a successful track record since its registration in 2004 of providing season-long, whole plant protection from lepidopteran insect feeding damage allowing plants to obtain more of their genetic yield potential. WideStrike cotton can also increase productivity by reducing inputs such as labor, fuel, equipment and insecticide purchases typically required for conventional insect control. WideStrike has been undergoing evaluations in India since 2004 and additional papers at the WCRC 5 will report on these results.


EFFICACY OFF WIDESTRIKE Bt COTTON AGAINST LEPIDOPTERAN PESTS IN INDIA

R. Moudgal, C. Chawda, G. Baktavachalam, S. Rajan and G. Thompson Dow Agro Sciences, India Pvt. Ltd.

Dow AgroSciences India Pvt Ltd (DAS) has been developing WideStrikeÂ® Bt cotton, a breeding stack of Cry 1F (event 281-24-236) and Cry 1Ac (event 3006-210-23) in India since 2004. In this process, DAS has conducted Bio-safety Research Level (BRL) trials since 2008 in South and Central Zones of India with two cotton hybrids expressing the WideStrike traits WS103 and WS106. This article reports efficacy of WideStrike Bt cotton against the American bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and Spodoptera litura observed in the BRL trials. The trials demonstrate that WideStrike cotton provides effective, season-long, whole plant protection from lepidopteran insects. The insect control helps farmers to increase crop yields and productivity by reducing pest management costs. Introduction of WideStrike cotton in India will diversify the choice of insect protection traits available to the Indian farmers and enable effective management of bollworm complex and Spodoptera litura in cotton. This product is approved for commercial cultivation in Brazil and US and for feed /food import in Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea and Mexico.



SURVIVAL OF Helicoverpa armigera ON Bt COTTON HYBRIDS IN INDIA— CAN WE BUY THE INTERPRETATIONS?

A. Prabhuraj1, Y.B. Srinivasa2 and Muralimohan3 1College of Agriculture, Bangalore, 2Institute of Wood Science and Technology,

3Krishi Vigyan Kena, Ramanagara, UAS, Bangalore, India

A couple of years since commercialization of transgenic Bt cotton in India, reports on survival of bollworms have appeared from different parts of the country. The first came in 2004 from Central India claiming a mere 50% reduction in bollworm population. Up to 9% damage was reported on some of the hybrids in Guntur region of Andhra Pradesh in 2009. Sizeable populations of pink bollworm were recorded on Bollgard-II® from Gujarat in 2010. In the same year, field survival of Helicoverpa armigera and ~9% boll damage was recorded from Raichur belt of Karnataka on both Bollgard® and Bollgard-II®. The latter study further demonstrated survival and reproduction of the pest insect for two complete generations on Bt cotton hybrids. This study created considerable national debate over the credibility of the technology as such. Here, we put forth two prominent public views expressed on the results of the study and the many interpretations. Interpreting field survival and completion of two generations as ˜development of resistance’ in the population has been mooted prominently. The arguments arise because the study per se does not quantify resistance among the surviving individuals. One side of the argument is that the results of the study, in addition to development of resistance, be attributed to a situation where plants produce less-than-lethal levels of toxins. The other side dismisses the low-toxin argument as the hybrids have been demonstrated, during their approval for commercialization, that the concentration of the toxins is lethal despite variations across plant parts. Opinions such as disparity in environment leading to low toxin production are unsubstantiated and may be rejected. The second point of contest is related to survival of the second generation of the insect on Bt plants. As the F1 was the result of mating between individuals bred on Bt plants, it has been argued that it does not reflect the assumed reality where individuals from Bt plants mate with those from non-Bt plants. Therefore the experiment may not gel with the concept of refugia. On the contrary, this argument fails to reason out considerable survival recorded among the first generation population, whose parents had ample opportunities to mate with partners from non-Bt plants. Additionally, as the results of the study shows that survival of the individuals bred on Bt plants in their F1 generation was equal to that of the control, it has been expressed that the surviving individuals were considerably resistant.


FIELD PERFORMANCE OF F1, F2 AND NON BT OF BG II (MRC 7017 BT) AND JKCH 1947 BT AGAINST BOLLWORMS OF COTTON

G.T. Gujar, G.K. Bunker, B.P. Singh and V. Kalia Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India

Studies were undertaken to evaluate comparative performance of F1, F2 and non-Bt versions of dual stacked Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab transgenic cotton hybrid,C 701 7Bt and the single stacked Cry1Ac transgenic JKCH 1947 Bt during kharif season. The results proved that lowest damage of terminal bud, fruiting bodies green boll, open boll; incidence of Earias and Pectinophora gossypiella was recorded onC 7017 Bt F1, JKCH 1947 Bt F1 andC 7017 Bt F2 as against C 7017 non Bt, JKCH1 947 non-Bt and JKCH 1947 Bt F2. The highest seed cotton yield (27.00 q /ha) was recorded inC 7017 Bt F1 followed by JKCH 1947 Bt (23.15 q /ha),C7 017 Bt F2 (22.76 q /ha), JKCH 1947 Bt F2 (21.08 q /ha), JKCH non Bt (16.08 q /ha) andC non Bt 7017 (15.91 q /ha). TheC 7017 Bt F1 was found to be significantly superior among the entire hybrid tested, whereas, JKCH 1947 Bt F1 was statically at par withC 7017 Bt F2 regarding yield, both had significantly more yield than the non-Bt counterparts of JKCH 1947 Bt andC 7017 Bt. These results are discussed vis-à-vis sustainability of Bt cotton in relation to the threat of resistance evolution to its most important pest, H. armigera.



INTRINSIC RATE OF INCREASE AND LIFE PARAMETERS OF COTTON LEAF EATING CATERPILLAR Spodoptera litura ON BOLLGARD II HYBRIDS

G.M.V. Prasada Rao, T. Sujatha, G.A.D. Grace, N.V.V.S.D. Prasad and V. Chenga Reddy Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, ANGRAU, Guntur, India

The Bt cotton area in India increased from 0.5 lakh ha in 2002-03 to 9.4 million lakh ha in 2010-11. Bt technology has been highly effective against major bollworms of cotton. However, Bt cotton hybrids, containing single (Cry1Ac) and double (Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab) genes, are not very effective against Spodoptera litura which is causing damage to Bt cotton. With this background study was conducted during 2010 season to know the intrinsic rate of increase of S. litura on four popularly grown Bollgard II cotton hybrids and life parameters of the pest were computed in comparison with their counterpart Bollgard and NBt hybrids. The methods suggested by Morris and Miller and Chaudhary and Bhattacharya were used for constructing the life tables. For computing various life parameters a computer programme was developed using MS-Excel. All the life parameters of the pest were significantly and negatively affected on Bollgard II hybrids. Net reproductive rate (Ro) on Bollgard II hybrids ranged from 16.36 to 22.53, whereas it ranged from 43.89 to 61.17 on Bollgard hybrids and it ranged from 86.79 to 108.22 on NBt hybrids. Potential fecundity (Pf) of the pest was also negatively affected and pf ranged from 635 to 880 on Bollgard II hybrids, while it ranged from 906 to 1120 on Bollgard hybrids. Highest Pf was recorded on NBt hybrids (1182 to 1333). Mean generation time was higher on Bollgard II hybrids followed by Bollgard and NBt hybrids. Lowest mean generation time (Tc) of 49.92 days was recorded on Bunny NBt and highest Tc of 57.67 day was recorded in Mallika BG II. The intrinsic rate of increase (rc) ranged from 0.05 to 0.09 females /female /day. Lowest rc was recorded in Bollgard II hybrids and highest rc of 0.09 was recorded in NBt hybrids. In Bollgard hybrids rc ranged from 0.07-0.08. Insect could double its numbers around week days in NBt, nine days in Bollgard and around two weeks in Bollgard II hybrids. Lowest weekly multiplication rate of 1.40 times was recorded in Mallika BGII and highest rate of 1.91 times was recorded in Tulasi NBt. Among the four hybrids tested, the affect of toxins on the growth and development of the pest was highest in Mallika hybrids. The Bollgard II hybrids have significantly negative effect on the growth and development of S. litura.


Concurrent Session 3 CROP PRODUCTION


SAVE AND GROW, THE NEW FAO FRAMEWORKS FOR SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION OF AGRICULTURE

F. Mancini, T. Friedrich and A. Kassam FAO, Rome

Agricultural production will have to increase by some 70% by 2050 compared to production levels of the 1990s-2000 to satisfy global demand for food, feed, fibre, raw materials and bioenergy. In many countries, however, intensive crop production has depleted agriculture's natural resource base, jeopardizing future productivity. In order to meet projected demand, a shift to a new paradigm is imperative. Over the next 15 years, FAO aims to assist developing countries in adopting agricultural policies and approaches that endorse sustainable crop production intensification (SCPI). SCPI produces more from the same area of land while conserving resources, reducing negative impacts on the environment and enhancing natural capital and the flow of ecosystem services. SCPI represents a major shift from the homogeneous model of crop production to knowledge-intensive, often location-specific, farming systems. Essentially, the ecosystem approach uses inputs, such as land, water, seed and fertilizer, to complement the natural processes that support plant growth, including pollination, natural predation for pest control, and the action of soil biota that allows plants to access nutrients. Farming systems will be based on conservation agriculture practices, the use of good seed of high-yielding adapted varieties, integrated pest management, plant nutrition based on healthy soils, efficient water management, and the integration of crops, pastures, trees and livestock Several SCPI approaches have been successfully applied to cotton in Asia and Africa to reduce the use of pesticides, optimize nutrient management and sustain or increase yields. The application of SCPI on a large scale will require significant support to farmers in testing new practices and adapting technologies. Governments will need to strengthen national programmes for plant genetic resources conservation, plant breeding and seed distribution in order to deploy improved crop varieties that are resilient to climate change and use nutrients, water and external inputs more efficiently. Fundamental changes are also required in agricultural development strategies. Policymakers must provide incentives for adoption of SCPI, such as rewarding good management of agro-ecosystems. Developed countries should support sustainable intensification by increasing considerably the flow of external assistance to, and investment in, agriculture in the developing world.



WHICH CARBON FOOTPRINT TOOL FOR THE COTTON VALUE CHAIN?

F. Visser, P. Dargush and C. Smith University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

The purpose of the study is to identify the most appropriate carbon footprint calculator to be used by cotton suppliers to meet the emerging sustainability measurement requirements from brand owners and retailers in the textile supply chain. The first step in terms of the methodology was to identify a range of applicable carbon footprint calculators that may be used by industry for a cotton crop. Special attention was paid to identify those calculators that a) are internationally recognised and applied in the regions where the major brand owners and retailers are based, and b) will generate the results in a format that will be applicable to the evaluation mechanisms of the textile supply chain, in particular the Eco Index as supported by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. Nine calculators were identified. The next phase comprised of actual case studies on three cotton farms where the field data was gathered to populate the eight calculators. The farms used are established, standard operations from the three major cotton growing regions in Australia from which the average values were calculated. This represents a fair value of the carbon footprint levels of Australian cotton, although it must be noted that the focus of the study is to identify the most appropriate methodology to be applied. The results were generated by populating the eight calculators with the same average values obtained. The numerical results are shown below but will be presented in a graphical format. The reporting framework was adapted from that proposed by the World Resources Institute for GHG inventories for the agricultural sector.

The following conclusions can be awn from the results:

1. There is a compelling need for an internationally standardised format and methodology for crop-level carbon footprint calculations for the textile supply chain

2. The same base data generated considerable variance in results even for â€˜standardisedâ€™ items like fuel use

3. No common methodology exists in particular for the calculation of soil emissions, and the more accurate processed-based models may be too complex for industry to use

4. Further research needs to be undertaken to utilise process-based models to validate the accuracy of soil emission results from the more user-friendly calculators.


RESPONSE OF COTTON TO BIO BORON AND ITS USE EFFICIENCY IN VERTIC USTROPEPT SOILS OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA

J. Ponnusamy and S. Meena Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

A field investigation was carried out to study the effect of different boron sources on yield and its use efficiency by hybrid cotton in Vertic ustropept soils of Tamil Nadu, India. The experiment with hybrid cotton (RCHB 708 Bt XL) was conducted during the winter season (August 2007 to January 2008) in Salem district of Tamil Nadu, India. Treatments included the supply of B through different organic manures, borax and control besides including the foliar spray of B. The soil of the experimental site belongs to Periyanaickenpalayam series with the available NPK status of 165:46:497 kg /ha and was clay loam in texture. The hot water soluble B content was 0.78 mg /kg soil in the cotton grown field. Irrigation water used for the experiment has the EC of 3.09 dS /m and B content of 0.29 meq /lit. Results showed that the supply of B through organic and inorganic sources produced significantly higher seed cotton yield than B alone and manure application had positive influence on increasing the seed cotton yield through slow and continued supply of B along with other nutrients to cotton. The agronomic efficiency was high for the organic B source treatments. This could be attributed to the higher absorption of N from soil and translocation to the fruiting organs from vegetative part by the applied B.



CRY TOXIN EXPRESSION IN Bt TRANSGENIC COTTON HYBRIDS INFLUENCED BY SOIL DEPTH AND SPLIT APPLICATION OF N

Blaise Desouza and K.R. Kranthi CICR, Nagpur, India

Genetically modified cotton expressing the Cry toxin is an effective technology for control of lepidopteran pests. Most of the cotton in our country is rainfed. However, less is understood about the effect of soil moisture and N on Bt toxin expression. Field experiments were conducted over two seasons (with Ankur 651 Bt in 2006 and Bunny Bt in 2007) to evaluate the effect of soil depth {shallow (<45 cm) and deep (>90 cm)} and fertilizer-N application on cry toxin expression and cotton productivity at Nagpur, Maharashtra. Cry1Ac toxin content (fresh weight) was assessed in leaves of Bt transgenic cotton. In both the seasons, toxin expression declined with crop age. Cry toxin concentration increased up to 80 days after sowing followed by a steep decline. In 2006, rainfall was less than normal resulting in better cry toxin expression on deep than on the shallow soils probably due to a better moisture holding capacity of the deep Vertisols. In 2007, high intensity rains were received resulting in waterlogging of deep Vertisols. This adversely affected cry toxin expression compared to the shallow soils which were well ained. Cry toxin concentration was closely related to the soil moisture content. Beyond (excess moisture) and below field capacity (moisture deficit), toxin concentration declined. A cubic polynomial best described the relationship between cry toxin concentration and soil moisture content (R2 = 0.95). Averaged over the years, improved cry toxin expression was observed with split application compared to the farmers’ practice. Furthermore, our studies indicated significant effect of N management strategies in both the seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08). Boll retention and seed cotton yield were higher in the plots with split application than the farmers’ practice. Application of N in 3 splits improved productivity compared to two split application and farmers practice. In general, foliar supplementation of N did not bring about any consistent increase in either the seed cotton yield or the toxin expression. Fibre quality was not influenced by N application. Among the two Bt hybrids evaluated, Bunny Bt produced greater seed cotton than the Ankur 651 Bt. Our results indicate split application of N is an option to enhance cry toxin expression and crop yields under rainfed conditions.


EFFECTS OF PROLONGED AND INTEGRATED USE OF ORGANICS AND INORGANICS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF COTTON

S.N. Upperi1 and V.B. Kuligouda2 1EEU, Bheemarayanagudi, UAS Raichur, India 2UAS, Dharwad, India

The stuy was conducted to evaluate the prolonged and integrated use of organic and inorganic nutrient sources on the performance of hybrid cotton and leaf reddening during growing seasons of 1999, 2000 and 2001 at ARS, Bheemarayanagudi, Karnataka. The experiment was laid out in Split plot design with four organics viz., incorporation of cotton stalk @ 5 t /ha, vermicompost @ 2.5 t /ha and FYM @ 10 t /ha

along with graded levels of inorganics application viz. 50% RDF (75:37.5:37.5 kg NPK /ha), 50% RDF + MgSO4 @ 20 kg /ha and 100% RDF + MgSO4 @ 20 kg /ha. The anthocyanin content (mg /g of FW) of the leaf samples were decreased from 0.169 with 50% RDF to 0.0602 with 100% RDF + MgSO4 @ 20 kg /ha) indicating a decrease in leaf reddening with increased nutrition and supply of Mg. This improvement in leaf greenness enhanced seed cotton yield significantly from supply of 50% RDF (2566 kg /ha) to the application of 50% RDF + MgSO4 @ 20 kg /ha (2847kg /ha) and 100% RDF + MgSO4 @ 20 kg /ha (3217 kg /ha). Results also revealed significant increase in organic carbon contents (0.62 and 0.63), available P2O5 (24.39 and 28.50 kg /ha) and available potassium (681.6 and 754.4 kg /ha) with the application of vermicompost @ 2.5 t /ha and FYM @ 10t /ha. That apart, significant improvement in soil available potassium (645.25 and 702.5 kg /ha) was observed with 50% RDF + MgSO4 @ 20 kg /ha and 100% RDF + MgSO4 @ 20 kg /ha .


Concurrent Session 5 ECONOMICS PRODUCTION SYSTEMS


ROLE OF GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY PROGRAMS AND MARKETS FACTORS ON THE DETERMINATION OF COTTON PRICES IN TURKEY

S. Karaman1, A. Kocak2 and G. Tezel1 1Akdeniz University Faculty of Agriculture Department of Agriculture, 2TUBITAK, Turkey

Cotton prices in Turkey depend on government subsidy programs as well as market factors. In the determination of prices, the stock-to-use ratio is utilized so as to capture the effects of supply and demand factors. In addition, government price support and stock control programs play an important role on the determination of prices. For cotton price, stocks of major producer countries (U.S., Peoples Republic of China, India) may be taken into account to measure the international market effect. Apart from these, another factor playing an important role in the determination of cotton prices is the agricultural producer price index of the previous year. Accurate forecasting of cotton prices is a significant element in the formulation of cotton policy. The procedure is simple, linear and reduced form of regression models were used to forecast the season-average farm prices utilizing the ratio of total ending stocks to use and policy variables. This study uses yearly data and models the cotton prices by the use of dummy variables that reflect the policy changes as well as stock-to-use ratio, stocks of other countries and producer price index.


TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY OF COTTON IN GUJARAT (INDIA)

A.R. Reddy, S. Yelekar, R. Petkar and A. Narala Central Institute for cotton Research, Nagpur, India

Gujarat is one of the important cotton producing states of India which ranks first in production and second in area in the country. An analysis was carried out to study the total factor productivity of cotton in this state during the period of 1981-82 to 2006-07. Tornqvist-Theil indexing procedure was adapted to workout total input, total output and total factor productivity indices. These indices were worked out for three different periods, Period I (1981-1990), Period II (1990-2000) and Period III (2000-2007) separately as well as for entire period. Input factors considered to workout TFP includes Human labour (days /ha), Bullock labour (days /ha), Machine labour (days /ha), Seeds (kgs /ha), Manure (qtls /ha), NPK (kgs /ha), and Insecticides (lit /ha). The results indicated that the growth of total factor productivity was positive and significant during the period of analysis. TFP increased at the rate of 5.92 percent per annum during the period of analysis. This indicates the sustainability of cotton production in the state. The growth of total input index was not significant during the period of analysis. But total output index showed a significant growth of 5.54 percent per annum. This was due to the increase in the TFP during this period. TFP growth was positive during all the three periods. It was highest (15.53 percent) during Period III while it was lowest (1.05 percent) during Period I. Growth of input index was negative during Period I and Period II while it was positive during the Period III. Similarly growth of total output index was negative during the Period I and positive during the other two periods. This analysis indicates that the output growth of cotton in this state is sustainable as it is iven by the positive TFP growth. It also indicates that the growth of output can further be strengthened by improving the input growth.



ANALYSIS OF GROWTH AND INSTABILITY OF COTTON PRODUCTION IN INDIA

A. Narala and A.R. Reddy Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

Cotton is one of the important commercial crops of India. Cotton plays a key role in the national economy in terms of both employment generation and foreign exchange earnings. With economic liberalization and globalization sweeping the world there is scope for our country to play a leading role in the production and export. It is encouraging to note that over the last few years the cotton production had shown a significant increase. Researchers have shown that with the adoption of new technologies on farmer’s fields, it is possible to increase the average productivity beyond 600 kg lint per ha to augment additional production of 40-50 lakh bales to meet the future demand. Under these circumstances it is appropriate to examine the growth of cotton area, production and productivity over the years. Growth rates are the measures of past performance of economic variables. They are commonly used as summaries of trends in time series data. They are developed to describe the trends as a variable over time. Policy decisions are often made based on such growth rates which depend on the nature and structure of the data. The present study was undertaken to analyze the growth and instability in cotton area, production and productivity during 1950-2008. For this purpose compound growth rates were estimated by fitting the exponential function and coefficient of variation was worked out to find out instability associated. It was fond that growth of cotton area was significant during 1950s and 1990s only. But growth in cotton production was significant only after 1990 and it was highest during the period 2000-08. Growth rate of productivity was also high during 2000-08. Instability analysis indicated that cotton area was more stable than production and productivity. Programs and policies such as rehabilitation of irrigation systems, adoption of improved technologies, strengthening of extension, reducing risks in cotton production can play a vital role in achieving stability and to sustain the high growth rate experienced during the past few years.



GLOBAL MARKETS FOR ORGANIC COTTON, AND INDIA’S OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES AS PRIMARY PRODUCER

Prabha Nagarajan Textile Exchange, India

The Organic cotton market which was nascent in 2001, with a global market of USD 240 million, is today one of the fastest growing sectors. In 2009 the market grew to USD 4 Billion, a growth steered by Textile Exchange (previously Organic Exchange) in partnership with farmers, manufacturers, brands and retailers.Today most of the leading brands which include Nike, C&A, Walmart, Co Op Switzerland, and Levi Strauss include organic cotton textiles in their product mix and have committed programs for organic cotton. The steady expansion of the global organic cotton market was driven by consumer interest in “green” products and by brands and retailers who wished to continue to show support to more sustainable ways of doing business.Organic cotton has been growing steadily in acreage, tonnage and in the number of third party certified farmers engaged in its production. India, Syria, Turkey, China and USA are the top 5 countries. India has been the principal producer for the last three years and in 2009, produced close to 200000 MTs of lint contributing to almost 80% of the global supply. India’s opportunity to continue to be a key player in organic cotton production lies in the context of her being a country with the largest acreage potential,and a significant number of dedicated organic farming communities. This combined with an enviable production capability for a wide spectrum of textiles contributes to making India a “one stop destination” for brands and buyers. The last three years has seen tremendous growth, but the sector also faces significant challenges. Some of these challenges such as a need for tighter regulatory systems has been met through introduction of Tracenet, an online tracebility system introduced and made mandatory by APEDA, Ministry of Commerce. The Govt of India has also recognized that a distinct policy for Organic Cotton could offer solutions and support and is attempting to achieve this through provisions in the ensuing National Fibre Policy in the next five year plan. In the interim, there is an urgent need to address some of the critical issues faced by the Organic Cotton growers, which include among others, availability of non Bt seeds which are mandatory for organic systems, scientific support for selecting appropriate genotypes for organic production, nutrient and pest management practices specific to regions, possible earmarking of organic cotton zones and improved input availability preferably with subsidies. Public Private Partnership models that can address these issues are sorely required. There is an urgent need to address these issues, if India is to keep her leadership role in the growing organic cotton industry.


ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED COTTON IN INDIA: WELFARE EFFECTS AND ITS DISTRIBUTION ACROSS STATES

P. Ramasundaram, S. Kurup and J. Samuel National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi, India

This paper presents the results of a study aimed at measuring the economic impact of genetically modified cotton (Bt cotton) in India and its distribution across major cotton cultivating states. The present study employs ex-post approach and mostly uses the data obtained from /published by the state agencies. The introduction of genetically modified cotton had a phenomenal impact on increasing yield, reducing pesticide consumption, real cost of production and cultivation. However, the performance varied across the states. The yield increase is as high as 104% in case of Gujarat, 95% in Maharashtra and 78% in case of Andhra Pradesh and less than 15% in case of Tamil Nadu. The cost of pesticide application posts mixed trend with Punjab recording a sharp reduction of about 190%. Increase in pesticide use was recorded in three out of nine states under study, perhaps due to the emergence of sucking pests. The welfare gain since introduction of Bt cotton is enormous and significant. At 1995 cotton prices (when the research on Bt cotton was initiated in United States), the total economic surplus estimates to be about Rs 370 billion. Of this, the consumer surplus (industrial surplus) accounts for about 68% and the rest producer surplus. The highest welfare gain is appropriated by Maharashtra at about 32%, followed by Gujarat (24%), Andhra Pradesh (19%) and Punjab (18%). The study highlights the need for technology upgradation to counter the dampening effect of the technology depreciation in later years.


Concurrent Session 6 VALUE ADDITION


INFLUENCE OF QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF INDIVIDUAL BALES ON YARN QUALITY

R.P. Nachane CIRCOT, Mumbai, India

Cotton being a commercial crop of great economic importance, there exists a value chain in the sense that the seed cotton is converted into lint and through the yarn and fabric route into garments and made ups for both internal consumption and export. However, in this conventional value chain there are several weak as well as missing links. The crucial unit operation involved in the value chain is ginning, i.e., conversion of seed cotton into lint, is still considered to be one of the weakest links characterized by excessive use of energy, low productivity, absence of cleaning and lack of facilities for quality assessment of the lint that this sector produces. Cotton bales prepared in ginning industry are not individually tagged with fibre characteristics. Therefore, spinning units are procuring cotton bales on the basis of fiber characteristic values got from random sampling of bales. This special study has been carried out to find out the effect of segregation of bales, mainly based on fineness, after tagging of individual bales according to fibre properties, on the yarns so produced. Results indicate that for high micronaire of above 4.5 for a given variety grown in one location, no statistically significant differences in yarn properties are observed. However, for yarns produced from finer cottons of less than four micronaire, many of the yarn properties are highly influenced by the fineness. It is therefore recommended that individual bale tagging with segregation of bales based on fineness can result in better quality yarns, leading to better quality fabrics and garments.


A VISION FOR TECHNICAL TEXTILES IN THIS DECADE

A. Subramaniam Retd-Scientist, Madura Coats, Coimbatore, India

Technical Textiles may be defined “As are Textiles any other than Apparel or Furnishing Textiles”. This could be Medical Textile, Agri, Building and Geo Textiles etc. Woven, Non-woven, Knitted or any other manufacture items were from immemorial days for their usage in Medical and Agricultural areas. During last 20th century, Cotton through yarn and fabrics contributed substantially to Industrial /Technical Textiles in terms of Tyre cord for tyres from Egyptian cottons and from short staple Indian cotton of 1” staple (25.4 mm) to produce well known Beltings of World standards for transmission and conveyor usage and fabrics for Tents to Defense and Tarpaulin for domestic purposes. But during the later part of the last Century, Synthetic and other Man-made Glass filament gradually replaced cotton due to their superior strength and desirable qualities for Technical Textiles. Still Cotton yarn was useful to cover Synthetic for adhesion purpose with Rubber for example Cotton /Nylon Beltings for conveyor. Cotton fibre and yarn are still in use without any Physical and Chemical treatment in western countries blending with Synthetics at 3 to 5% to manufacture parts for Auto Industry of Bonnet and Doors and expected to increase further by 10% during this decade. The first and foremost quality requirement is fibre strength and fibre strength alone for Technical Textiles. Count range require of Technical Textiles are from 6s, 10s, 12s, 16s and 20s count maximum and do not require long staple cotton, as they are unnecessarily for their FITNESS OF PURPOSE. Breeders should concentrate in developing a short staple cotton with a maximum staple length of 1” (25.4mm) and of short duration, fibre strength of 25 g /tex and above preferably from Rain-fed areas with high yield. We have done some development work to prove a point that a short staple of high strength cotton recording 23-25 g /tex instead 20 g /tex achieved today. This is done by using the by-products of long staple cotton while it is manufactured in the yarn and spinning them to Coarser count from 6s to 20s and woven into fabric.



STUDIES ON COMPOSITION OF OIL AND FATTY ACID IN Bt AND NON Bt COTTON (G. hirsutum)

H. Nagappa and B.M. Khadi University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India

Cotton has pride place among cash crops from earliest times. Cotton though mainly grown for fibre is also ranked as major oilseed crop in the international market. Cotton seed oil can be used for edible purpose after refining. Cotton seed oil is premium quality oil and it has no cholesterol and is vegetable oil. On an average, oil content of Bt hybrids (17.43%) were on par with non Bt hybrids (17.4%) The Bt hybrids viz., JKCH 2245, K 5038, RCH 2, NCEN 3R, JK Ishwar and JKCH 266 showed numerically superior over non-Bt hybrids. On an average, unsaturated fatty acid of Bt and non Bt hybrids are on par with each other. The Bt hybrids viz., JKCH 2245, K 5038, RCH 2, JKCH 22, NCEN 3R and RCH 138 recorded more than 4% of unsaturated fatty acid higher than non Bt hybrids, while JK Ishwar, JKCH 1050, JKCH 66 and K 5316 non Bt hybrids had unsaturated fatty acid more than 4% higher than their respective Bt versions. The myristic acid in Bt hybrids was numerically superior over non Bt hybrids which helps to increase the keeping quality of oil. The mean of 24 Bt hybrids had monounsaturated oil on par with mean of respective non Bt hybrids. JKCH 2245 Bt, K 5038, RCH 2, JKCK 22, NCEN 3R and RCH 138 were significantly superior over non Bt hybrids. Considering polyunsaturated fatty acids, JKCH 2245 and JK Ishwar Bt hybrids were numerically superior over non Bt hybrids. From current investigations, it can be concluded that there is no significant difference in oil percentage and fatty acid composition in Bt hybrids when compared to their non Bt versions.


DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF COST EFFECTIVE AND RAPID ELISA FOR QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CRY 1F PROTEIN IN TRANSGENIC PLANTS

K. Jain, E. Aher and H. Motivaras Krishgen Biosystems, Mumbai, India

Bacillus thuringiensis is the source for transfer of genes to impart insect resistance in transgenic plants wherein Cry1F protein of B. thuringiensis is used in transgenic plants. A simple, rapid, sensitive and cost-effective assay for trait validation of Cry1F and GMO screening is required. To develop and validate an ELISA kit for detecting Cry 1F protein in transgenic plants, polyclonal antibodies were raised against the Cry1F protein and adsorbed onto microtitre plate. Both the protein sample and a detection reagent comprising anti-Cry 1F antibodies and a detectable moiety were added simultaneously, providing greater interaction between the capture antibody, the Cry1F proteins that may be present in the protein sample, and the detection antibody. The one step format allows the formation of the "capture antibody-Cry1F protein-detection antibody" complex. The CV for intra assay and inter-assay were ranged from 1% -11% for non Bt and positive seed samples. The stability of immunosorbent and immunoconjugate at elevated temperature (37°C) for 7 days and both the components were found to be stable during the shelf life estimated. The assay shows dilutional linearity and specificity. The analytical performance of the Cry1F ELISA indicates that this assay can be used for monitoring traits and GMO screening in transgenic seeds and leaves.



AN INNOVATIVE BIOCHEMICAL APPROACH FOR LOW ENERGY AND LESS POLLUTING SCOURING OF COTTON AND BLENDED TEXTILES

P.V. Varadarajan, R. Mahangade and G. Hadge, CIRCOT, Mumbai, India

In recent years, there has been increasing interest and demand for natural dyes all over the world on account of increasing public awareness of ecological and environmental problems related to the production and usage of synthetic dyes. Two of the vital barriers crippling the growth of this sector has been the non availability of sustainable sources of natural colorants and lack of availability of appropriate dyeing methodology to obtain high colour strength without affecting the fastness properties. Application of natural dyes on cotton by and large involve the use of chemicals known as mordants to create affinity between the fibre and the dye molecule. The available literature indicate that the mordanting technique employed play a significant role in the colour strength and fastness properties during the subsequent dyeing operation on to the cotton. The dyeing behavior of six different leaf based natural dyes on the cotton using a new eco-friendly mordanting technique has been examined. All the six natural dyes were from sustainable resources. The quality of processing water and the mordanting technique employed paly a crucial role in determining the colour strength. Experimental data is presented to highlight the role of dissolved solids especially calcium and magnesium ions in the processing water. The results show a significant increase in colour strength when processing water contains calcium and magnesium ions . This is observed with all the six dyes examined. The present work also demonstrates the impact of a new mordanting technique on the colour strength of dyed cotton. The modification introduced in the mordanting technique employing alum and ferrous has shown an improvement of 140-300% in colour strength over the conventional mordanting technique with excellent fastness properties. An electron microscope examination revealed that the particle size of the mordanted complex was in the order of 98 nm whereas the particle size of the dyed mordanted complex through conventional process were of large size. The data generated also demonstrated the influence of the pH of the mordanting solution on the size of the dye-mordent complex. Thus the size of the mordant-dye complex obtained under modified mordanting conditions may be responsible for the significant improvement in colour strength during the dyeing process. Similar observations were made during ferrous mordanting dyeing operations too. An examination of the surface of the mordanted and dyed fabric under Fluorescence microscopy indicated coarser particle size of the mordanted and dyed samples under conventional technique whereas the modified technique produced finer particles of dye-mordanted complex on the surface of the fabric. This was observed with all the six dyes studied. Thus the overall study indicates ultra small dye-mordant complex formation under the modified mordanting conditions. The formation of ultra low sized dye-mordant complex could be the reason for the observed increase in the colour strength under the new technique. Thus the new technique opens up a new pathway in the dyeing of cotton with natural dyes under environmentally and economically compatible way.


Concurrent Session 7 MOLECULAR GENETIC DIVERSITY


TRANSLATIONAL GENOMICS FOR COTTON IMPROVEMENT

John Z. Yu Texas A&M. University, USA

Cotton (Gossypium spp) is one of the first crop plants to which Mendelian principles were applied for genetic improvement of its yield and quality. For nearly the entire 20th century, cotton geneticists relied primarily on leaf shapes, pigment deficiencies, and other morphological mutants in basic genetic research and mapping while cotton breeders improved performance and quality through the tedious process of selection based on measurable traits and characteristics in advanced generations of selected lines. Only at the turn to the 21st century have cotton researchers begun to explore DNA markers and EST unigenes for molecular breeding. Currently both diploid and tetraploid cotton genomes are being sequenced among different research groups. Interpreting and translating large amounts of the genomic information for cotton improvement present new opportunities to cotton geneticists and breeders. A concerted effort among the global research community will help decode all genetic potential from otherwise largely untapped Gossypium genomes. Understanding and manipulating unique features of cotton genomes will lead to developing translational genomics, a key to contemporary cotton genetic improvement.


ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN G. barbadense ACCESSIONS

P.A. Balu, D. Kavithamani and S. Rajarathinam Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

The knowledge on genetic diversity and breeding potential of Gossypium spp., accessions is a vital source for the genetic improvement of cotton fibre quality and productivity. The G. barbadense germplasm is known existing source for availability of variation for fibre quality traits. The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and its relationship among the G. barbadense accessions using multivariate Mahalanobis D2 statistics. Fifty five G. barbadense accessions and one G. hirsutum accession were utilized. Grouping of accessions into different clusters was independent of the geographical origin of accessions. G. hirsutum accession formed a separate cluster from the G. barbadense accessions. The analysis of variance showed highly significant differences among genotypes for all the characters. Cluster I was largest consisting of 36 accessions followed by cluster V. The composition of clusters indicated existence of relationship between genetic diversity and geographical distribution. The inter-cluster distances were maximum when compared to intra-cluster distances. It is suggested to broaden the genetic base of individual clusters by introducing different alleles from the germplasm accessions of other clusters. Seed cotton yield, GOT, boll weight, bundle strength, S /L ratio were the major characters contributing towards divergence.



DIVERSITY ANALYSIS IN CORE ACCESSIONS OF UPLAND COTTON (G. hirsutum)

V.N. Waghmare, S. Sutar, P. Thakre, P. Deshmukh, A. Badole and R. Salame Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

Genetic diversity amongst 94 upland cotton accessions from the set of core collection was analyzed using RAPD, SRAP, TRAP and SSR markers. A total of 55 primers (22 SSR, 14 SRAP, 8 TRAP and 11 RAPD) were employed for screening of 94 accessions, of which 48 primers (20 SSR, 13 SRAP, 5 TRAP and 10 RAPD) were polymorphic. These 55 primers amplified a total of 277 fragments of which 158 were polymorphic which corresponds to 57.03 percent polymorphism across 94 accessions. The polymorphism detected by SSR, SRAP, TRAP and RAPD was 26.98, 49.45, 56.75 and 87.20 percent, respectively. The size of amplified fragments ranged from 300 bp to 3 kb, 170 bp to 3kb, 120 bp to 920 bp and 150 to 400 bp while the similarity coefficient (SC) values ranged from 0.83 to 1, 0.71 to 0.98, 0.56 to 0.94, and 0.31 to 0.94 for RAPD, SRAP, TRAP and SSR, respectively. The combined marker analysis revealed an overall SC ranged from 0.70 to 0.94 with an average of 0.82. The denogram analysis using RAPD+SRAP+TRAP+SSR similarity matrix data indicated total of eight major clusters and three accessions as out-group members (Cat 3773, Cat 1911, Cat 3056). The lowest SC of (0.70) was found between Cat-299 with Cat 3773, Cat 3846 and Cat 3904 while the highest SC of 0.94 was found between Cat 692 and Cat 1034. We could identify the most distinct genotypes from among the different clusters and such a diverse group of genotypes can be used in breeding programme and also for linkage disequilibrium studies.


GENETIC DIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF COTTON GERMPLASM

V. Mikkilineni, P. Naphade, P. Kulkarni, R. Ramekar, A. Jaybhaye, C. Chaporkar and B. Char Maharashtra Hybrids Seeds Co. Ltd., Jalgaon, India

Crop germplasm diversity contributes significantly to the development of improved crop cultivars aimed at increasing crop productivity. In this study, we have selected 192 proprietary inbred lines of Gossypium hirsutum that show variable phenotype for traits such as leaf hair density, leaf texture, boll size, plant architecture (type), fibre quality parameters, maturity group, and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. This germplasm pool was screened with 50 polymorphic Microsatellite markers. From this study we have found that 47 loci out of the 50 loci show polymorphism. The similarity index values ranges from 0.41 to 0.98. In a denogram three major and twelve minor clusters were obtained. These results suggest that there is a high degree of genetic diversity in the screened germplasm lines of Cotton. This information will be very useful to the breeders as it will serve as a guide for selecting specific germplasm lines for development of newer and better inbred lines and hybrids.



GENETIC DIVERSITY EVALUATION OF COTTON GERMPLASM OF G. hirsutum AND G. arboreum AND ESTABLISHMENT OF SSR FINGERPRINTS

Xiongming Du Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China

Genetic diversity evaluation of cotton germplasm is the foundation for any varietal improvement programme. In this study, two kinds of cotton germplasm were evalauted for genetic diversity. The populations included 330 elite G.hirsutum with different modern varieties and elite germplasm and 200 accessions of G. arboreum germplasm. The agronomic and economic trait surveys, genetic similarity and cluster analysis by using the polymorphic SSR were conducted. Establishment of unique fingerprinting library is also of great significance for cotton intellectual property protection, distinguishing variety, seed quality and purity controll. Therefore, a digital fingerprinting of some elite germplasm lines were primarily established. It may be concluded that i) The main phenotype traits represented very significant discrepancy among different elite germplasm, the variation of fiber yellowness value was the greatest and variations of other main fiber quality traits were much lower in the G. hirsutum population. However, the genetic diversity was extremely abundant based on 19 phenotypic traits in 200 G. arboreum L. accessions ii) In the G. hirsutum population, the polymorphism loci were 87.15% and the mean PIC value was 0.6452 ranged from 0.5121 to 0.8501. In the 200 G. arboreum, the mean number of polymorphic alleles per locus was 3.964. The PIC values of SSR ranged from 0.010 to 0.882 (average 0.578), and 33 loci (39.8%) were selected with high level of informativeness (PIC > 0.7). iii) The similarity coefficient of G.hirsutum germplasm distributed between 0.773 and 0.812 with the average value of 0.767 showed less variance in most of the germplasm in G.hirsutum. The similarity coefïcients among all 200 G. arboreum accessions ranged from 0.58 to 0.997(average 0.745) iv) The UPGMA cluster analysis indicated that the 330 G. hirsutum germplasm were separated into two main groups. The genetic distance among the elite germplasm in upland cotton has become very narrow and the G. arboreum were clustered into 8 groups. The genetic diversities of G.arboretum were better than that in G. hirsutum v) The genetic relationships of the germplasm based on SSR clustering were in good agreement with the pedigree analysis in G. hirsutum. In G. arboreum germplasm, the phenotypic clustering and molecular results were not consistent, and noapodictic relationships between different varieties genetic distance and geographic distance were observed vi) The 300 elite G. hirsutum cotton germplasm was distinguished by the fingerprint map with 25 SSR core primers. A barcode method was developed called denary numeric string for distinguishing the fingerprints of different germplasm which was simpler than that of binary system.


Concurrent Session 8 ELITE VARIETAL DEVELOPMENT


ELITE COTTON VARIETIES IN THE ZIMBABWEAN PRIVATE SECTOR RESEARCH PROGRAMME

M.J. Kudzayi Quton Seed Company (Pvt) Ltd, Kadoma, Zimbabwe

Quton Seed Company (Pvt) Ltd (Quton), a subsidiary of Seed Co Group is the only cotton planting seed company operating in Zimbabwe. It has a breeding unit within the Department of Research and Specialist Services based in Kadoma, Zimbabwe. This Department released cotton varieties such as QM 301, a high quality medium staple variety that meets all stakeholders requirements. The major aim of the cotton variety development programme of Quton is production of medium-staple (Gossypium hirsutum) varieties suitable for open-end spinning for Zimbabwe and the region. In the 2009-2010 cropping season, seven elite cotton varieties from Qutons Medium Staple Breeding Programme were planted across 10 sites to evaluate field and fiber characteristics. The yield performance data showed that the entry 675-02-1 performed better than others with the average seed cotton yield of 2.33 t /ha under yland conditions with medium bolls and very good seed cotton retention and early maturity. Two huned and sixty four lint samples from the first pick were collected and sent to the Cotton Company of Zimbawe (Cottco) Laboratory for fiber analysis in terms of fiber length, strength, elongation, maturity and micronaire (HVI). The latest maturing entry B81-05-1 had the longest fibers, strong fiber, good micronaire, highest ginning outturn and the heaviest bolls in this season. Another elite line MS98-01-68, produced the best fiber strength value of 31.8 g /tex. Strong fibers can be span at higher speeds and meets demands of modern spinning technologies. The overall results showed clear field and fiber quality differences between varieties. Earlier maturing varieties were generally better yielding mainly due to an end of season ought spell that affected late maturing varieties.


TAK FA 84-4: NEW JASSID TOLERANT COTTON VARIETY

P. Sebunruang, A. Traisiri and S. Lapbunjob Nakorn Sawan Field, Crops Research Center, Thailand

Cotton damage from cotton jassid (Amrasca biguttula Ishida) becomes very serious problem, especially in a y period EL-Nino, because of 50-100% reduction in cotton yield. Farmers overcome this serious damage by increasing insecticide dose, resulting in more toxic residual effect to human health and environment. In order to reduce more systemic insecticide used for jassid control, jassid tolerant hairy leaf cotton variety improvement was conducted at Nakhon Sawan Field Crops Research Center in 1997. The hairy leaf IRMA1243, exhibiting jassid tolerance, was crossed with smooth leaf and leaf roll resistant Tak Fa 2, which has high yield and good fiber quality. Thereafter, plants were selected in bulk in F2-F4 generations, followed by plant-to-row or pure line selection in F5-F6 generations for hairy leaf cotton lines with jassid tolerance, leaf roll disease resistance and high yield under non systemic-insecticide application and artificial leaf roll disease inoculation. Uniform 14 lines with good plant type were selected for yield potential evaluation in 2003-2008. The promising hairy leaf line, (IRMA 1243 /GDPSR 38-136) BBBB 4 B or Tak Fa 84-4 was out-standing in jassid tolerance, high yield, good fiber quality and leaf roll disease resistance.



GOOD CHARACTERS OF NEW OUTSTANDING COTTON VARIETIES DEVELOPED IN TANZANIA

T. Kibani, E. Lukonge, O. Ramadhani, M.P. Kapingu, S. Chirimi, E. Temu and G. Buchukundi LZARDI, Ukiruguru Research Station, Mwanza, Tanzania

Cotton is the second major crop of Tanzania after coffee. It provides income and employment to about half a million households. Forty% of the population depends on cotton. Because of the importance, efforts have been made to breed superior cotton varieties that are high yielding with better fibre characteristics than the predecessors. After several years of variety development and testing of several breeding materials, two were found to be superior with respect to number of characters and therefore recommended for use to the farmers, these are UKM 08 and UK 08. The former is reputedly known for good yield (2.2-2.8 tons /ha), ginning percentage (42.3), good fibre strength (30-32 g /tex), micronaire value (4.03) and fibre length (1.275 inch). The latter variety yields to 2-2.5 tons per hectare, GOT 40.2%, fibre strength 28.2g /tex, Micronaire 4.2 and fibre length 1.276 Inch. These varieties have good level of resistance to Jassids, Fusarium and Bacteria blight diseases and therefore, superior to the predecessor UK 91 variety.


THE PROPERTIES OF THE NATURALLY-PIGMENTED COTTON CULTIVATED IN NAKORNSAWAN FIELD CROP RESEARCH CENTER, THAILAND

P. Jingjit1 and P. Seebunruang2 1Rajamangala University of Techno, 2Nakornsawan Field Crop Research Center, Thailand

Two types of naturally pigmented cotton fibers studied in this research were green cotton and brown cotton. Both fibers were grown, picked, and ginned in the Nakornsawan Field Crop Research Center, Thailand. When these cotton fibers were observed under optical microscope, the green fibers showed green colour substances scattered throughout the tissue of the fibers and the brown fibers showed brown color substances concentrated mainly in the center of the fibers. The fiber colour of the green and brown fibers were not uniform, some fiber are apparently darker than others. Due to the fineness, length and strength of the green fibers, the fibers were able to be spun, with OE spinning machine, into fine yarn (no. 24). For the brown fibers, the fibers were found to be coarser, shorter and weaker and they were only suitable for spun into medium or coarse yarn. The percentage of fiber loss during spinning process were high, the green fiber 32% and the brown fiber 41.4%, these were partly because of their short fiber index which were higher than standard. The obtained yarns were used in producing knitted fabrics on a circular knitting machine using single jersey construction. The color of the obtained fabrics was found to be uniform all through the fabrics. The fabrics were tested for light fastness, and the light fastness level of the fabric produced from the green fibers was 3-4 and for the fabric produced from brown fiber was 6-7.



NEW COTTON GERMOPLASM WITH INTERMEDIATE CYCLE CALLED SP 48114 DEVELOPED BY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY–INTA

M.A. Tcach, J. Poisson, I. Bonacic, S. Ibalo, A. Montenegro, D. Ojeda and M. Cracogna National of Institute of Agricultural Tecnology (INTA), Argentina

Cotton in Chaco, Argentina, is cultivated under rainfed conditions. The availability of water during flowering determines the retention of fruiting structures. Better performance depends mainly on water stress during the reproductive phase. In varieties with short cycle, the losses caused by stress are the most important, this necessitates developing varieties with intermediate cycle in order to compensate losses due to stress during flowering. The objective of this investigation was to select a cotton line with intermediate cycle and agronomic traits equivalent to early maturing materials. The cross between lines SP 99138 x SP 99035, was obtained in the 1994 /1995 season. Plants in F2 populations were selected by visual observation. An individual plant selection SP48114 was obtained. In the period 2004 /2005 the elite line was a part of a network regional comparative trials conducted at 4 locations for 3 seasons. The F3 generation was tested for ginning outturn and the progenies were artificial infected with Xanthomonas axonopodis pv malvacearum, discarding all susceptible plants in short generations. The F8 generation was tested for the blue disease, caused by cotton leaf roll dwarf virus (CLRDV), by artificial inoculation and selecting only resistance line. The germplasm SP 48114 is characterized by greater differentiation of fruiting points on the main stem 5% more than Guazuncho 3 INTA. This commercial variety had short cycle and high boll retentions in first fruiting branches. The selected line SP 48114 maintains boll retention in the inferior part of the plant similar to Guazuncho 3 INTA, but continued the process of flowering for more days. This feature increases the cycle for about 10 days which improves the compensation at time of water stress. The fiber length was 29 mm and strength 31 g /tex, with lint percentage about 39 to 40.


Concurrent Session 9 EMERGING PESTS


INFLUENCE OF WEATHER PARAMETERS ON POPULATION OF MEALY BUG, Phenacoccus solenopsis AND ITS NATURAL ENEMIES ON Bt COTTON

B.V. Patil1, S. Hanchinal1, M. Bheemanna1 and A. Hosamani2 University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, India

Seasonal incidence of mealy bug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Tinsley) on cotton was studied at main agricultural research station, UAS, Raichur during 2008-09 and 2009-10 cropping seasons. Mealy bug incidence started in the month of September (40th standard week) during both the seasons. Initially mealy bug population was low and gradually increased as the crop stage advanced. Steep increase of mealy bug population was observed after January and reached peak in the month of March. Population varied from 66.28 to 146.64 and 12.32 to 122.64 per 10 cm apical shoot during 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, respectively. In general predator population was low throughout the season in both the years. Hymenopteran parasitoids activity started in the month of October and it ranged between 0.52 to 22.12% during 2008-09 and 0.08 to 34.64% during 2009-10. Parasitoid cocoons were maximum in the month of March which recorded 22.12 and 34.64% during 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, respectively. Maximum temperature was positively correlated and significant where as other parameters were negatively correlated.


INSECTICIDE INDUCED RESURGENCE OF MEALY BUG, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Tinsley) IN COTTON

R. Kumar1, K.R. Kranthi2, D. Swami1, M. Nitharwal1 and V. Pal1 1CICR Regional Station, Sirsa, 2CICR, Nagpur, India

The knowledge relating to risk associated with the insecticide as regards resurgence is of paramount importance, the influence of the commonly used insecticides alone and in combination was studied for their role in resurgence of mealy bug population on cotton cultivar RCH 134 during 2008-09.The insecticides i.e. cypermethrin, monocrotophos, acephate, ethion, profenophos, spinosad, cypermethrin + monocrotophos, cypermethrin + acephate, cypermethrin + ethion, cypermethrin + profenophos were applied 11 time at 10 day intervals in mealy bug infested fields spreading throughout the cotton season at their recommended dosages . On the basis of two year cumulative data 14.53% resurgence in mealy bug population was recorded due to Spinosad. No resurgence in mealy bug population during the year 2008 after 1st and IInd spray was observed but 0 .69 to 11.24% resurgence was recorded after 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th spray after 7th day of each spray application. During the 2009, 4.53 to 43.53% resurgence in mealy bug due to spinosad was recorded after 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th spray after 7th day of each spray application. The studies conducted under polyhouse conditions also revealed 12.92% resurgence in mealy bug population due to spinosad after 5 sprays at weekly intervals. Among the other insecticides applied, 10.89 to 21.92% resurgence due to cypermethrin during the 2009 was recorded after 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th spray after 7th day of each spray application. 12.12 to 29.08% resurgence due to monocrotophos was recorded after 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th spray after 7th day of each spray application. As per record, though the infestation of mealy bug was more during 2008, resurgence in mealy bug population due to insecticides was more during 2009. The reason for the resurgence like biochemical changes in plant, changes in insect reproduction physiology or ecological changes could not be traced at this stage which has to be confirmed through more planned and systemic studies.



EMERGING AND KEY INSECT PESTS ON BT COTTON- THEIR IDENTIFICATION, TAXONOMY, GENETIC DIVERSITY AND MANAGEMENT—AN OUTPUT

OF THE TECHNOLOGY MISSION ON COTTON

S. Kranthi1, K.R. Kranthi1, R. Kumar2, Dharajothi3, S.S. Udikeri 4, G.M.V. Prasad Rao5, P.R. Zanwar6, V.N. Nagrare1, C.B. Naik1, V. Singh7, V.V. Ramamurthy8 and D. Monga2

1Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, 2CICR Regional Station, Sirsa 3CICR Regional Station, Coimbatore, 4UAS, Dharwad

5ANGRAU Lam farm, Guntur, 6Marathwada Agricultural University, Nanded 7Regional Agricultural Research Station, Sriganganagar

8Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India

Technology Mission on Cotton in India has proved to be successful in the planning, implementation, execution and monitoring of research projects in a stipulated time with a focused approach. Emerging and key insect pests on Bt cotton- their identification, genetic diversity and management is one of the projects that adessed the changing pest problems in different regions through strategic research. Mealybugs (Phenacoccus solenopsis, Paracoccus marginatus), mirids (Creontiades biseratense, Campylomma livida,Hyalopeplus linefer), flower bud maggots (Dasineura gossypii), safflower caterpillar (Perigea capensis), Tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis bryadi) were emerging insect pests while leaf hoppers (Empoasca devastans), whiteflies (Bemisia sp), pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) and the armyworm (Spodoptera spp.) were the key pests on Bt cotton. Incidence and damage caused by these pests varied across regions and Bt genotypes being cultivated. Timely taxonomic identification of the mealy bug, P. solenopsis and subsequent molecular study to suggest its narrow genetic diversity led to the development of meaningful management strategies to limit its spread. Studies on the mt COI region of the key pest E. devastans revealed that leaf hopper populations on cotton although morphologically and taxonomically similar were genetically distinct from leaf hoppers of South and Central India. Implications on pest management in light of this finding are presented. Flower bug maggots that were hitherto not reported on cotton were found to cause extensive damage in parts of Karnataka. The life cycle of D. gossypii was elucidated to identify vulnerable stages in its life cycle that can be exploited for pest management. Two botanical formulations Mealy Kill 50EC (against sucking pests) and Mealy Quit (against mealybugs) were identified, developed and validated in multilocation trials. Entomofungi were evaluated for their efficacy in sucking pest management.



SPECIES DIVERSITY, PESTIFEROUS NATURE, BIONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT OF MIRID BUGS AND FLOWER BUD MAGGOTS:

THE NEW KEY PESTS OF BT COTTONS

S. Udikeri1, S. Kranthi2, K.R. Kranthi 2, N. Vandal1, A. Hallad1, S. Patil1 and B. Khadi1 1UAS, Dharwad, 2CICR, Nagpur, India

Unforeseen insect pests have emerged as potential threats in India and elsewhere due to large scale cultivation of Bt cottons. Up to 69% reduction in usage of pesticides has been achieved and reliance on synthetic pyrethroids, broad spectrum highly toxic organophosphates has been almost seized paving way for dominance of emerging pests. Hence, since 2007 field and laboratory investigations are in progress under TMC to unearth potential threats from emerging pests to cotton cultivation. Three different species of mirid bugs (Miridae: Hemiptera) viz., Creontiades biseratense (Distant), Campylomma livida (Reuter) and Hyalopeplus linefer (Walker) have been found infesting cotton recently. Creontiades biseratense has become major production constraint presently in South India and Maharastra. They are number one pests in Karnataka state presently. Adults and nymphs suck the sap from base of square and tiny bolls leading to heavy shedding of these fruiting structures. Feeding on mature bolls leads to parrot beaking and improper opening. It has five nymphal stages occupying 14 days and adult longevity of 13 and 21 days respectively for males and females. No Bt transgenic cotton cultivar or event could show appreciable resistance to mirid bugs in cultivar association studies. The estimated minimum avoidable yield loss is 20.6%. Acephate 75 SP @ 700 gai /ha appeared to be promising chemical control option which limited the population to 14 mirids /25 squares with maximum seed cotton yield of 3378 Kg /ha. Another mirid tea mosquito Helopeltis bradyi (Waterhouse) has been noticed for the first time in inter-specific Bt cotton hybrids causing 85% yield loss through severe boll and square damage. This paper also presents a new report on flower bud maggot Dasineura gossypii Fletcher (Cecidomyiidae: Diptera) which appeared as potential pest for first time in the history of cotton entomology. Currently > 90% fruiting body damage has been recorded in largely cultivated Bt cotton cultivars viz Kanak and Neeraj. The reproductive biology of this pest spreads over 12 -13 days spending all stages in squares or flower buds leading to heavy loss. Bioefficacy of Malathion 50 EC @ 2.0 ml /lit was better over the rest with 4.3 damaged buds /plant limiting avoidable yield loss to 480 kg /ha or 24%. Mirid bug Creontiades biseratense and flower bud maggots are new key pests of cotton presently with limited management options. Flower bud maggot would be altogether new information.


SURVEY AND MANAGEMENT OF COTTON MEALY BUG Phenacoccus solenopsis (TINSLEY) ON COTTON AND OTHER HOST PLANTS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS

OF SINDH (PAKISTAN) IN 2010

S.N. Khuhro, A.M. Kalroo and R. Mahmood CCRI Multan, Pakistan

In Pakistan mealy bug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, was recorded first time in 2005 on cotton and other plants. The mealy bug infestation was recorded on both Bt and non Bt varieties in different districts of Sindh. The survey carried out in different districts of Sindh and showed that mean maximum population of (38.88 mealy bug /shoot) was recorded in October 2010 in Ghotki district, followed by (32.17) in Sukkur, (32.07) Shaheed Benazirabad, (29.67) in Khairpur and (14.69 /shoot) in Dadu district. Besides cotton mealy bug was recorded on 21 other host plants in Shaheed Benazirabad district. About 95% parasitism of Aenasius bambawalei, was noted on cotton, followed by Abutilon (92%), Okra (91%), Dhatoro (87%), China rose (86%), Brinjal (80%), and Tomato (77%). Different insecticides were also tested for controlling mealy bug on cotton. Maximum mortality of the mealy bug occurred in plots treated with Movento 20 SC (95.2%), followed by Movento energy 480 SC (94.8%), Confidor 50 SC+ Ultra (93.3%), Profenofos 50 EC (92.69%), Confidor 70 WG (92.40%), Fyfanon 57 EC (91.1%), Bono 20 SC (89.60), and Malatox 57 EC (84.65%) up to one week of spray. The meteorology data reveals that maximum mealy bug population was recorded when the temperature was in the rage of (30.5-39.5°C).


Concurrent Session 10 WATER MANAGEMENT


THE ADAPTATION OF IRRIGATED COTTON TO THE TROPICAL SEASON

S.J. Yeates CSIRO–Plant Industry, Ayr, Qld, Australia

The reintroduction of cotton to most of the Australian tropics was prevented by insect pests that are dominant during the wet (summer) season and a perception that the crop could only be grown in the wet season. Growing cotton during the y (winter) season has avoided these pests. However, the photothermal pattern of the y season is the reverse of the wet season and that of spring sown cotton in temperate latitudes. Average night temperatures are cool mid season (12 to 14 oC) with extremes < 6 oC and high temperatures are likely early and late in the season. Solar radiation is 20% less than at temperate latitudes mid season and could also limit crop growth. It was not known what yield or fibre quality was possible. Over three seasons, two upland Bt-transgenic cultivars and one Gossypium barbadense cultivar were sown from March to June in field experiments at the Ord River (15.5oS). A pot experiment conducted at Katherine, (14.5oS) over two seasons where average ambient minimum temperatures were 4oC lower than the field experiments during flowering were compared with temperatures 6 oC higher by moving plants into a glasshouse at night. Despite the photothemal constraints, lint yields were at the high end of Australian and international benchmarks when sown in March and April. The lower temperature and radiation during flowering and early boll growth for the March and April sowings combined to reduce the crop growth rate during this phase compared with cotton grown at temperate latitudes. However, assimilate supply was adequate because boll demand was also lower at this time due to early flowers having slower development, lower retention and smaller bolls. Increasing late season temperature and radiation permitted yield compensation via an extended flowering period and a greater contribution to yield from later pollinated flowers on the top and outside of the plant. The Katherine experiment found boll retention and size was correlated (p < 0.01) with minimum temperature during flowering. Full yield recovery occurred because cold minimums were episodic. RUE was negatively correlated with average temperature up to first flower a response not reported previously in cotton and explained some of variation in RUE measured here and elsewhere. Cool temperatures during fibre development reduced fibre length and strength at March and April sowings. Further screening may identify cultivars with suitable fibre length and strength in these conditions.



MANAGING SALINE-SODIC WATER FOR SUSTAINABILITY OF COTTON IN SEMI-ARID REGION OF PUNJAB, INDIA

G.S. Buttar, B. Sidhu, H. Thind, K. Sekhon and A. Dhaliwal Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India

Cotton is the main cash crop of Punjab and occupies more than 5.31 lakh hectares during 2010. More than 40% of area of the state has poor quality underground water and majority of the farmers are growing cotton during kharif season in this semi-arid region of Punjab. Dwindling supplies of good quality water is forcing farmers to use saline-sodic underground waters. Under such situations the use of organic and inorganic amendmends can play an important role in sustaining the yields of various crops. A six year field study (2004-09) was conducted at PAU, Regional Station, Bathinda on loamy sand soil to investigate the effect of different organic and inorganic amendmends on crop yields of cotton. The treatments were irrigation with good quality canal water, irrigation with canal water along with application of zinc, farm yard manure, gypsum, irrigation with canal water and saline sodic water alternately, irrigation with saline sodic water, irrigation with saline sodic water along with zinc, irrigation with saline sodic water along with zinc and gypsum, irrigation with saline sodic water along with farm yard manure, irrigation with saline sodic water along with zinc, gypsum, farm yard manure, growing cotton crop in furrows and giving pre-sowing irrigation with canal water and all the subsequent irrigations with saline-sodic water . Irrigation with saline-sodic tubewell water increased soil pH and EC in all treatments as compared to canal water and it can be improved with alternate application of canal and saline-sodic water, zinc, gypsum, farm yard manure and raising the cotton crop on ridges and irrigating the crop in alternate furrows. The results of cotton crop over 6 years showed that the application of saline sodic water results in 20.7% reduction in seed cotton yield as compared to canal water alone. The application of zinc, gypsum, farm yard manure, and combination of zinc+ gypsum+ farm yard manure can compensate the seed cotton yield by 37.5, 15.6, 13.7 and 17.3% over saline-sodic water alone. Growing cotton crop on ridges by pre-sowing irrigation with canal water and all subsequent irrigations with saline-sodic water in alternate furrows compensate the seed cotton yield to the tune of 11.7% over saline-sodic water.



A THERMAL OPTIMUM APPROACH TO IRRIGATION SCHEDULING IN AUSTRALIAN IRRIGATED COTTON

W. Conaty1,4, J. Neilsen1, 2, J. Mahan3, D. Tan4 and B. Sutton4 1CSIRO Plant Industry and Cotton Catchment Communities CRC, 2Monsanto Australia,

3USDA /ARS Plant Stress and Water Conservation Laboratory, 4Faculty of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, The University of Sydney

To optimise irrigation water application there is a need for efficient and targeted irrigation scheduling systeA thermal optimum approach to irrigation scheduling uses the principle that plant performance is optimised when a plant is maintained within its optimal temperature range through timely irrigation water application. The advantage of such an irrigation scheduling system is that it is based directly on plant stress physiology, and not on indirect measurements of plant stress such as soil water and /or environmental load. Researchers at the USDA /ARS have previously used the relationship between canopy temperature (Tc) and plant water status to schedule irrigations based on a temperature-time threshold system. These systems command irrigations when the crop's Tc exceeds its optimal temperature threshold (TT) for a pre-determined period of stress time (ST), time the Tc > TT. The aim of this research was to assess the utility of this thermal optimum approach to irrigation scheduling in Australian ip irrigation system. At the Australian Cotton Research Institute at Narrabri, Australia, field based Tc was continuously monitored with infra-red thermometers (Zytemp TN901, Hsinchu, Taiwan) in ip irrigated cotton with varying soil water deficits. The optimum temperature of the cotton cultivar Sicot 70BRF was assessed using a dual-level approach, including both crop (lint yield) and leaf level (gas exchange) responses to Tc. Data showed a single relationship where peak yields occurred at Tc of ~ 28 Â°C, validating previous work on the species specific optimal temperature of cotton. The ST threshold was also investigated. In ip systems, which have the capacity to rapidly supply water at precise volumes, the ST threshold for peak lint yield was observed at 4.9 h daily ST. Future work should include further field validation, investigations in furrow irrigated systems and an integrated approach to stress detection, which should consider both the degree and duration of time Tc > 28 Â°C. The thermal optimum approach to irrigation scheduling offers potential for plant based precision irrigation scheduling. This study provides the TT and ST thresholds, as well as a research overview in irrigation scheduling using a thermal optimum approach in a high yield context.



STANDARDIZING WATER AND FERTILIZER REQUIREMENT OF Bt COTTON HYBRID (MALLIKA) UNDER IP FERTIGATION SYSTEM

N. Asokaraja, P. Muthukrishnan and J. Gokila Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

An experiment was conducted in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during winter 2010 (Sep -Feb) for optimizing ip irrigation and fertigation schedules in Bt cotton (Mallika Bt 2). Three levels of ip irrigation at 75%, 100% and 125% of Computed Water Requirement (WRc) and three levels of fertigtion at 75%,100% and 125% of RDF of NPK through speciality WSF (150:75:75 NPK kg /ha). These were compared with ip fertigation with conventional fertilizers (CF) and farmers practice of furrow irrigation (5cm depth) and soil application of CF at 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF). Under paired row planting system (120 /60 x 60 cm spacing) one lateral was laid out for two rows of cotton with a lateral to lateral spacing was 180 cm and one ipper for two cotton plants at 60 cm apart along the lateral. ip irrigation and fertigation was carried out simultaneously once in 2 days. Water soluble fertilizers (MAP, Polyfeed and Multi-K) were fertigated for both Bt and Non Bt cotton hybrids as per fertigation schedule formulated. From the investigation, ip irrigation once in 2 days at 125% WRc has recorded higher growth and yield attributes and seed cotton yield in Bt Cotton (Mallika). The water requirement of Bt cotton under ip irrigation was 764.8 mm at 100% WRc while in furrow irrigation 917.2 mm, resulted a water saving of 16.6%. Whereas the water requirement of Non Bt cotton under ip irrigation was 789.8 mm at 100% WRc (6.75%) compared to furrow irrigation (967.2 mm) with a water saving of 18.3%. ip fertigation with WSF once in 2 days at 125% RDF has recorded higher seed cotton yield which was on par with 100% RDF. ip fertigation with WSF was superior to CF at 100% RDF both in Bt Cotton (11.4% increase over CF) and Non Bt Cotton (9.0% increase over CF). The Water Use Efficiency (WUE) in Bt Cotton and Non Bt Cotton under ip irrigation at 100% WRc + fertigation with WSF at 100% RDF was 4.83 kg /ha mm (64.8% increase) and 3.76 kg /ha mm 57.9% increase) respectively over furrow irrigation.


EVALUATION OF IP FERTIGATION SYSTEM ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF Bt COTTON AND NON-Bt COTTON HYBRID (MALLIKA)

P. Muthukrishnan, N. Asokaraja and J. Gokila Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

An experiment was conducted in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during winter 2010 (Sep-Feb) for comparative evaluation of Bt cotton (Mallika Bt 2) and Non Bt Cotton (Mallika non Bt 2) hybrid under drip irrigation and fertigation system. Three levels of ip irrigation at 75%,100% and 125% of Computed Water Requirement (WRc) and three levels of fertigtion at 75%,100% and 125% of RDF of NPK through speciality WSF (150:75:75 NPK Kg /ha). These were compared with ip fertigation with conventional fertilizers (CF) and farmers practice of furrow irrigation (5cm depth) and soil application of CF at 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF). Results showed that growth characters of cotton viz., plant height and DMP were significantly higher in both Bt and Non Bt cotton under ip irrigation at 125% WRc + fertigation at 100% RDF with WSF which is superior to CF . Similarly among yield attributes in cotton, number of sympodial branches and number of bolls per plant were favourably influenced due to higher ip irrigation regime of 125% WRc and fertigation at 100% RDF. This treatment has registered the higher seed cotton yield of 39.6 q /ha (47.34% higher over control). However ip irrigation at 100% WRc is on par with 125% WRc. Bt cotton has exhibited its superiority over non Bt cotton particularly with higher number of bolls per plant and sympodial branches thus led to higher seed cotton yield. The yield of Bt cotton under ip fertigation with WSF at 100% dose was 39.6 q /ha which is 27.64% increase over non Bt cotton. ip fertigation with CF was superior in registering higher seed cotton yield of 33.1q /ha (23.24% increase) compared to farmers’ practice of soil application of recommended fertilizers to Cotton.


Concurrent Session 11 CROP PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES


EFFICIENT WATER MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE COTTON PRODUCTION IN CENTRAL INDIA

V. Kumar, R.G. Patil and J.G. Patel Navsari Agricultural University, Surat, India

Three research achievements are considered as milestones of Indian agriculture. The first was introduction of Norin 10 Brevor 14 dwarfing gene in wheat which led to green revolution in mid sixties. The second was development of world’s first successful hybrid of cotton Hybrid 4 which led to white revolution in early seventies and third is introduction of cry gene (Bt) in cotton which is considered the beginning of gene revolution in early years of current century. In a mealy to attain self sufficiency in agriculture sector, government paid utmost attention to the development of irrigation projects, fertilizer factories and pesticide industry and framed policies conducive to the overall development of agriculture in India. The outcome is that today, the country is self sufficient in most agricultural commodities. All this has been possible because of high yielding varieties /hybrids and input intensive production technologies. To harvest more and more, injudicious use of inputs especially water, fertilizer and pesticides became a fancy. The result is an eye opener. The water resources are either ying up or have become unusable due to salt ingress, soils have become sick /deficient in organic matter, micro nutrients, microbial activity, resulting in a decline /plateau in crop productivity. This is being encountered when burgeoning population of India (1.2 billion) demands more food, clothing and shelter. Declining water availability for agriculture, frequent oughts and unprecedented floods warrant long term and strategic research programmes. Therefore, efficient use of water becomes of paramount importance. Central zone of India, comprising the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra has cotton area which is mainly rain dependent (70-75%). The productivity is low in this zone vis-a-vis Northern zone which is 100% irrigated and Southern zone which is about 40-45% irrigated. The technology has over the years, been devised to (i) conserve rain water in rainfed tract through use of tillage, land configuration and mulch (ii) water management in irrigated tract through ainage and scheduling of irrigation based on soil moisture depletion, critical growth stages and climatological changes and (iii) other approaches for efficient water use through planting methods, tolerant variety, planting time, intercropping and use of (agro) chemicals. All approaches for efficient use of available water and fertilizers for better yields of cotton in addition to saving in irrigation water to make room for additional area /crop are discussed.



INPUT USE EFFICIENCY, PRODUCTIVITY, PROFITABLITY AND SUSTAINABLITY OF Bt COTTON BASED MULTI TIER SYSTEM

K. Sankaranarayanan, P. Nalayini, C.S. Praharaj and N. Gopalakrishnan Central Institute for Cotton Research Regional Station, Coimbatore, India

A field investigation was carried out to assess the performance of cotton based vegetables multi tier systems with different nutrient levels to intercrops during winter season (Aug-Feb) of 2007-08 and 2008-09 at Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Coimbatore. The treatment combinations comprised of three cotton based multi tier systems (in addition to recommended level of nutrient to cotton) combined with in 50, 75 and 100% of recommended levels of nutrient to intercrops (S1.Cotton + coriander + vegetable cowpea + cluster bean (nutrient levels to intercrop, 11.0:21.8:6.4, 16.4:32.7:9.5 and 21.9:43.6:12.6 kg N, P2O5 & K2O /ha respectively for 50, 75 and 100%), S2. Cotton + radish + beet root + coriander (nutrient levels to intercrop, 10.7:29.6:17.2, 16.0:44.3:25.8 and 21.3:59.1:34.3 kg N, P2O5 & K2O /ha respectively for 50, 75 and 100%) and S3.Cotton + radish + cluster bean + beet root (nutrient levels to intercrop, 13.7:35.5:20.2, 20.5:53.3:30.2 and 27.3:71.0:40.3 kg N, P2O5 & K2O /ha respectively for 50, 75 and 100%) were compared with sole cotton. Pooled analysis of two years data revealed that crop growth characteristics, yield attributes, yield and quality parameters of Bt cotton were not significantly affected by multi-tier systems and nutrient levels. Seed cotton yield of intercrops ranged from 2.56 to 2.91 t /ha, whereas sole cotton yield was 2.59 t /ha. The significantly highest LAI of 2.21, partial factor productivity (24.4) and economic nutrient use efficiency (1.80 kg /Rs) were obtained with multi tier system involving Bt cotton with coriander, vegetable cowpea and cluster bean and application of 50% of nutrient to intercrops.The results on light interception (78.6%), weed smothering efficiency (43.8%), water use efficiency (90.8 kg /ha-cm), water productivity (Rs 20.9 /M3), relative production efficiency (135.5%), gross return (Re1, 40,270 /ha), seed cotton equivalent yield (6.1 t /ha), land equivalent ratio (2.43), area time equivalent ratio (1.72), diversity index (3.03), uptake of nitrogen (183.4 kg /ha), phosphorus (36.3 kg /ha) and soil available nitrogen (192.4 kg /ha) were significantly highest with multi tier system involving cotton with coriander, vegetable cowpea and cluster bean with 100% nutrient to intercrops. However, this system is labour intensive, resulted on enhanced cost of cultivation. Hence multi tier planting of Bt cotton + radish + beet root + coriander with application of 100% nutrient to intercrops that registered the significantly highest net profit (Rs 93,098 /ha), benefit cost ratio (3.23), per day profitablity (620.7) and relative economic efficiency (191%) is recommended.



DO FOLIAR APPLICATION OF NUTRIENTS, PGRs AND INSECTICIDES CONTROL LEAF REDDENING IN COTTON?

A.H. Prakash, K.R. Kranthi, V. Nagrare, S. Kranthi and V. Gotmare Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

Cotton is a commercial crop with high input needs. Under rainfed conditions, cotton is prone to environmental adversities - as cloudy weather, water deficit /water logging /high temperature, etc. Since boll development is more synchronous in Bt cotton and occurs in a shorter time span, any of these adversities would culminate in physiological disorders like leaf reddening, shedding of fruiting parts and sudden wilt. A study on amelioration with common recommended interventions viz., foliar application of recommended fertilizers against reddening, plant growth regulators (PGRs), insecticides and fungicides- on leaf reddening was conducted in highly leaf reddening prone hybrid RCH 2 Bt under rainfed conditions of Central India (Nagpur). With the receding soil moisture and concomitant increase in diurnal variation in temperature (> 10oC) the leaf reddening was observed. Foliar application of nutrients and hormones did not visibly reduce the leaf reddening. Two insecticides viz., Monocrotophos and Acephate brought about recovery and the leaves turned green. One insecticide - Methomyl (40% SP) led to reddening of whole plant within 24-48 hours after application. The anthocyanin content in the leaves ranged from 12-38 uM over the treatments. The possible physiological roles of anthocyanins in vegetative tissues have perplexed scientists for well over a century and still continue. The cross sections of the leaves showed that the anthocynin accumulation starts in the adaxial surface of the epidermal cells (Vacuoles) and the accumulation response is cell specific. As the reddening prolongs the anthocyanin accumulation spreads along the epidermal cells and also moves down the line to palisade cells and under severe reddening the lower epidermis also turns red by accumulation of anthocyanin. Foliar treatments improvement the chl A /B ratio (range from 1.113 to 2.132) over the control plant (0.864) indicating that the photosynthetic machinery might have been protected by these treatments, even though leaf reddening was not controlled. The promising among the treatment was Acephate which being a safe insecticide may be used in combination with foliar nutrients to effectively control reddening in cotton.


DEFINING OPTIMAL APPLICATION RATE AND TIMING OF MEPIQUAT CHLORIDE FOR COTTON GROWN IN CONDITIONS

THAT PROMOTE EXCESSIVE VEGETATIVE GROWTH

G.D. Collins1, R. Wells2, R. Riar2 and K.L. Edmisten2 1University of Georgia, 2North Carolina State University USA

Mepiquat chloride (MC) is commonly used to control vegetative growth and promote early maturity of cotton. Responses to MC are dependent upon the prevailing environmental conditions, with favorable responses often observed in conditions that promote vegetative growth or delayed maturity. There have been recent claims of growers in the Southeastern U.S. using extremely high MC rates on cotton grown in fertile soils and high moisture environments while failing to adequately control growth. These results raise the question as to whether these high rates are actually necessary, or should growers be utilizing more aggressive application strategies in order to achieve optimal growth suppression. Experiments were conducted during 2007 and 2008 to investigate the effects of various MC application strategies and rates on cotton grown in high-moisture, high-fertility conditions. Treatments consisted of three MC application strategies (low-rate-multiple, modified early bloom, and early bloom) using normal (1x), moderate (1.5x), and high (2x) rates, which were compared to a non-treated control (NTC). Results suggested that normal rates (1x) are equally effective in controlling plant growth or modifying maturity characteristics as the high rates (1.5x and 2x), therefore the high rates may not be necessary. The less aggressive early bloom strategy controlled growth similarly to the more aggressive application strategies, however the modified early bloom strategy may provide growers with some flexibility in adequately controlling growth in situations where timely MC application to all cotton hectares at early bloom is challenging. This strategy also requires less equipment trips through the field compared to the low rate multiple strategy, and it is equally effective in controlling plant growth.



BIODEGRADABLE POLYETHYLENE MULCHING—A NEW APPROACH FOR MOISTURE CONSERVATION, WEED CONTROL AND ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY

OF WINTER IRRIGATED COTTON-MAIZE SYSTEM

P. Nalayini, K. Sankaranarayanan, K. Velmourougane and M. Suveetha Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Coimbatore, India

Use of polyethylene mulching for moisture conservation, weed control and enhancing the productivity of agricultural crops has been documented and is gaining global significance now than ever before as it reduces the water loss, improves the efficiency of water and thus helps in saving the most precious resource. ip irrigation used in combination with plastic mulch typically need less water to meet the crop requirement as the other losses are kept under minimum thereby increasing the use efficiency of water. Doubling the yield of cotton-maize system has been reported with polyethylene mulch of 30 micron. However, polyethylene film cannot biodegrade naturally and it can be made biodegradable by adding a small quantity (4%) of pro degradant additive (a patented product from UK) at the time of manufacturing the poly film. A trial was conducted at Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Coimbatore to study the performance of biodegradable polyethylene mulching for cotton-maize system. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. Eight mulch treatments including polyethylene mulching, biodegradable polyethylene, sugarcane trash, maize stover, gunny sheet, coir waste (subsoil), surface coir waste application were compared with no mulch control under three moisture regimes, 0.4 ETc through ip, 0.8 ETc through ip and conventional irrigation. ELS Bt cotton cultivar, RCHB 708 was used in the study and the experiment was conducted during 2008-09 and 2009-10 cropping season under winter irrigated (August-February) cotton followed by summer maize (March-May) in the same layout. The results revealed that the cotton crop responded significantly to moisture regimes and mulches. The crop responded up to 0.8 ETc under no mulch condition. However, under mulched situation, the seed cotton yield started decreasing beyond 0.4 ETc. Among the mulches, polyethylene mulching and biodegradable polyethylene mulching were on par and were significantly superior to rest of the mulches. Among the combinations, polyethylene mulching with irrigation through ip at 0.4 Etc recorded 5641 kg /ha and was on par with biodegradable polyethylene (5241 kg /ha) at the same moisture level of 0.4 Etc. The water requirement for ELS cotton RCHB 708 Bt was 464, 630 and 800 mm at 0.4 ETc, 0.8 ETc and conventional irrigation respectively. The zero tilled rotation maize grown after cotton harvest was also significantly influenced due to moisture regime and mulch treatments.


Concurrent Session 12 FIBRE QUALITY TESTING


COMMERCIAL STANDARDIZATION OF INSTRUMENT TESTING OF COTTON—RESULTS FROM OVER 4 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL ROUND TRIALS

Axel Drieling Faserinstitut Bremen (Bremen Fibre Institute), Germany

The ICAC Task Force on Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton (CSITC Task Force) was created to achieve reliable instrument test results for the global cotton lint trading. A specific Round Trial series for the Standardized Instruments for Testing of Cotton (SITC) often referred to as “High Volume Instruments” has been started in order to check the performance of the laboratories. The Round Trials a) show the inter- and within-laboratory result variation of the instruments and allow analyzing influences, b) give a dependable, objective evaluation of the capability of cotton testing facilities to produce reliable test results, represented in one aggregated grading number, c) allow a detailed instrument analysis regarding accuracy and precision, so that the laboratories are able to improve the performance of their instruments. Currently approx. 80 laboratories, located on all continents, are participating with more than 120 instruments. With 18 round trials with each 5 cottons, and 30 test results from each instrument for each cotton, the data is an ideal basis for an intense evaluation, and for coming to concrete applications. The presentation shows, from 2007 to 2011, the inter- and within-instrument result variation for the six parameters that are suitable for trading (Micronaire, Strength, Length, Uniformity, Color Rd and +b) as well as for additional parameters (Maturity, Short Fiber Index, Trash Count and Area). These statistically highly assured results are the best basis for fixing commercial trade limits. Additionally, the potential to reduce the inter-instrument variation based on the given technology, by optimizing laboratory prerequisites, is identified. The interlaboratory average test results are compared to results that have been established by the USDA, and are compared between different instrument manufacturers and types. Specific problems in the inter-laboratory comparison of color and

Micronaire measurements and their solutions are highlighted. The evaluations of the instruments allow each aboratory to prove its ability to achieve accurate results and to compare its performance to others. The typical evaluations and their development over time are given in the presentation. A new kind of evaluation has been introduced in 2011. This additional evaluation is based on assessing the ability of each instrument to achieve deviations lower than given (commercial) limits. The first results will be shown, too.



CIRCOT CALIBRATION COTTON: STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIAL FOR FIBRE TESTING

S. Sreenivasan, R.P. Nachane and A.J. Shaikh CIRCOT, Mumbai, India

In the liberalized quota-free textile trade, quality of both the raw material and finished goods has gained importance than ever before. The growing importance of quality in international trade is manifested by the emergence of mutual recognition agreements among accredited laboratories for quality reports. It is well known that fibre quality assessment through objective measurement of fibre attributes is carried out by using the state-of-the-art instruments like the High Volume Instrumentation system that need calibration using what are known popularly as “Calibration Cottons”, Traditionally, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been providing the “Calibration Cotton” as the Standard Reference Material (SRM) world over. With the USDA, discontinuing the supply of ICC mode calibration standards; CIRCOT embarked on a programme of producing and marketing calibration cotton standards since 1997. CIRCOT provides two sets of standards one for the conventional fibre testing instruments and other for the HVI. The uniqueness of HVI standards from CIRCOT is that the same standard is useful for both ICC and HVI mode operations. For preparation of the standards, the basic cotton needed is sourced from breeding stations ensuring high purity of seeds and best management practices for raising the crop. By a judicious selection of machinery including various types of opening and cleaning systems, the cotton is processed ensuring a thorough and homogeneous mixing of fibres. During the process of preparation, the uniformity of the processed sample is again ensured by testing the samples collected randomly from the processed lot. An interlaboratory Round Robin fibre testing programme is conducted involving about fifty testing centres to study the variations between laboratory and within laboratory engaging duplicate lots. The Z scores for testing laboratories enable identification of out-liers. On the basis of Round Robin Test results, the values for fibre parameters are assigned for the “Calibration Cottons” prior to labeling. The traceability of both the ICC equivalent standards and HVI calibration cotton standards with the USDA standards has been also established. The highlight of CIRCOT calibration cotton standards is that they are prepared with utmost care and that the values are assigned by following established scientific procedures. A confident and reliable customer base has been created during the last one and a half decades. The repeat orders from the industries and research institutions are an affirmation of the high standards maintained by the Institute in creating and marketing this reference material.


THE COTTON LENGTH ANALYSIS USING THE LENGTH CONTROL

A. Pabich1, I. Frydrych1 and J. Andrysiak2 1Technical University of Lodz, Poland, 2Textile Research Institute, Poland

Length control is a fibre length measuring device produced by Tratzschler, which can quickly give information about the distribution of fibre length, the short fibre content (SFC) and the content of fibre hooks. It can also give some suggestions of changing spinning machine's parameters to optimise its work. By using this measurement system, it is possible to measure all kinds of fibres, which length is not higher than 63 mm and which are formed in a sliver from the carding, awing or combing processes. It can be successfully used in the inter-operational control. Just after 10 minutes (the measurement duration), it gives necessary data to assess the quality of the fiber sliver and to optimise machine work. The possibility of quick adapting parameters of the machine work to the actually processing fibre length is especially important in the case of cotton fibres, which are characterized by a nig variability of length characteristics. In this work, there are compared the length results of measurements made on Length control with results from the AFIS. Such a comparison provides us information about the quality of the measurements on the Length control.



WITHIN BALE VARIABILITY STUDY ON COTTON PRODUCED IN AFRICA

E. Lukonge1, M. Aboa2, E. Goza3, Jean-Paul Gourlot3, A. Sinoimeri3 and T. Kibani4 1LZARDI, Ukiruguru Research Station, Mwanza, Tanzania, 2Association Interprofessionnelle du Coton, Pa,

3CIRAD, UPR SCA, Montpellier, France, 4UniversitÃ© De Haute Alsace,

Mainly the cotton bales produced in the world are sold according to the analysis of their technological characteristics including fibre length, fibre strength, micronare, uniformity, reflectance and yellowness using standardized instrument for testing cotton (SITC). In the United States of America, periodical studies of the results on variability allow to accompany the results with commercial tolerances in order to limit the frequency of claiIn Africa, no such study was under taken so far. Therefore, the objective for this activity was to study the within-bale variability of fiber length and its uniformity, fiber strength, micronaire, reflectance and yellowness. We took eight samples per bale within over 400 cotton bales produced in 13 African countries during two crop seasons. Our representative sample is then composed of over 3200 fiber samples which were analyzed in controlled conditions by SITC in a laboratory fully respecting the international recommendations. We then achieved an estimation of the within-bale variability of cotton fiber technological characteristics in most of the African cotton producing countries. The results indicated the variability per country, per bale in some situations and it was noted that even the gins (saw and roller) have also some effects in relation to within bale variability.


THE IMPACT OF COTTON FIBRE MATURITY ON DYE UPTAKE AND LOW STRESS MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE FABRIC

S. Venkatakrishnan1 and R.P. Nachane2 1CIRCOT, Coimbatore, 2CIRCOT, Mumbai, India

In the Present study True Maturity has been evaluated in PREMIER ART 2, after testing with reference standard Maturity Samples, supplied by the instrument manufacturer, whose maturity values measured and labeled using Image processing technology from the renowned FASER INSTITUT, Bremen, Germany and the line of best fit for Maturity values has been observed in PREMIER ART 2 and the linear regressed line is 99%, which indicates the measurement principle is an excellent way of measuring Maturity. Further In the present study, in order to know the impact of cotton fibre Maturity on Dye uptake and low stress mechanical properties, two groups of cotton samples has been collected (long staple with 33mm and extra long staple with 36mm), from different growth areas in order to have broad ranges of Maturity .The above groups of cotton is tested in PREMIER ART 2 instrument for True Maturity. Yarn and knitted samples were produced from each cotton sample and all the process parameters for producing such samples were kept constant. The K /S value of grey and dyed fabrics produced from different growth regions of cotton sample dye differently due to the differences in Maturity. The knitted fabric produced from the yarn, spun from high matured cotton showed higher compressional recovery, tensile resilience and smoother surface compared to the fabric produced from the yarn spun from low matured cotton samples.


Concurrent Session 13 GENETIC ENHANCEMENT


INTROGRESSION BREEDING IN COTTON

Basavaraj Khadi UAS, Dharwad, India

Conventional breeding programme has resulted in development of numerous location specific cultivars, diverse genetic stock and development of cultivars with several useful traits against biotic and abiotic stresses in cotton. By and large breeding objectives in India vary according to the cotton growing zones and region specific requirements. The breeding objectives in cotton include higher yield, earliness, fiber quality, resistance to biotic stresses and abiotic stresses, quality of oil, wide adaptability, synchronous maturity etc. Among the conventional breeding methods introgression breeding has played an important role in the improvement of cotton. As both the diploids have been considered as tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses, tetraploidisation of diploid G.arboreum was done using colhicine. The presence of lower palisade layer of leaf lamina in diploid cotton conferred immunity to CLCuV, higher sucking distance and compact alignment of cortex cells was unearthed as basis of sucking pest resistance in diploid cotton. These traits have been transferred to G, hirsutum cotton (which usually lack lower palisade, sucking distance) by introgression with 4n G. arboreum. Introgression of AD genome into A2 and A1 genomes (4n G. arboreum x G. hirsutum and 2n G. herbaceum x G. barbadense) improved substantially fibre length and fibre fineness in diploid cottons. Further, genetic amelioration of G.arboreum was done for improving boll size, fibre length, fibre fitness and fibre strength by using G.hirsutum as a donor source. These introgressed G.arboreum genotypes are thought to be best candidates to substitute G.hirsutum genotypes and genetic transformation for insect pest resistance, as these are inherently resistant to sucking pests. The number of locules in cotton boll has positive relationship with boll weight. The cultivated G.hirsutum genotypes are characterized by three to five locules. However, G.arboreum genotypes possess more of three loculed and less of four loculed bolls. There is improvement in introgressed derivaties with respect to number of locules in bolls. Introgression of G. arboreum race bengalense with race cernum and B genome G. anomolum yielded a stable five loculed G. arboreum (ABC-5) genotype. Among the fifty species of Gossypium, the Australian species belonging to Hibiscoidia and Sturtia possess unique feature of glandless seed and glanded plant, but this species belongs to C & G genomes and are phylogenetically remote from upland cotton and from diploid indigenous cottons. The distant hybridization of G. arboreum, G. hirsutum and G. herbaceum cotton with G. austral resulted glandless seed and glanded aerial parts conferring gossypol free cotton seed oil and resistance to pests and diseases.


DEVELOPING TRANSGENIC PRODUCT FOR CONTROLLING Lygus IN COTTON

K. Anilkumar, J. Baum, D. Bowen, R. Brown, T. Clark, M. Pleau, X. Shi, A. Wollacot, U. Sukuru and R. Flannagan

Insect Pest Management, Monsanto, USA

In this presentation, we report the isolation and characterization of a Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein with insecticidal activity towards Lygus. This protein was expressed in transgenic cotton plants and tested for activity against Lygus. We demonstrate that transgenic cotton plants expressing this protein cause increased mortality and stunting of Lygus nymphs. These results provide a basis for the development of cotton varieties protected from Lygus feeding damage.



INTROGRESSION OF DESIRABLE CHARACTERS FOR GROWING COTTON IN PAKISTAN

Abid Mahmood, J. Farooq and Noor-Ul-Islam Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Pakistan

Cotton crop faces both biotic and abiotic stresses. Keeping in view the emerging problems of cotton in Pakistan, a breeding programme was initiated to develop cotton varieties which can withstand under changing environment especially at high temperature and Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) conducive conditions. A series of experiments was conducted to select parental lines which can contribute for high temperature tolerance, low input requirements, earliness, good fibre quality traits, CLCuV tolerance and plants suitable for high density planting. A comprehensive breeding programme was initiated to combine desirable characters in resulting breeding material. Screening of breeding material was carried out in CLCuV hot spot areas. At the same time fibre quality, earliness and high yield were also considered during selection. For low input requirement varieties like FH 113 and FH 942 were developed. For heat and CLCuV tolerance 24 Lines were developed. Some of the lines like MNH-886, FH 142 and MNH 456 showed promising results in this respect. For high density planting of cotton, the line FH 114 showed good performance at densities of 10,0000 plants per hectare. It was recommended that for late sowing of cotton, plant to plant distance of FH 114 may be reduced to 12cm to achieve desirable yield per unit area. The varieties developed during these studies exhibited the highest yield with good fibre quality in CLCuV hit areas. It is expected that in future more improved germplasm will be available which will enhance the productivity of cotton in Pakistan.


DEVELOPMENT OF BIOTIC STRESS RESISTANCE TRANSGENIC DIPLOID COTTON UTILIZING Agrobacterium AND SHOOT APICAL MERISTEM CELLS

S.B. Nandeshwar, P.K. Chakrabarty, K. Singh, M.K. Meshram and B. Kalbande Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

The present study aimed to develop transgenic diploid cotton resistant to insect and diseases (Heliothis and grey mildew), using Agrobacterium containing cry and chitinase genes independently. Promising cultivars RG 8, PA 255 and PA 402 were used for transformation. The seven days old shoot tip excised from in vitro germinated seedlings were infected for 30 min with log phase cultures of A. tumefaeciens strain EHA 105 carrying binary vector pBinBt for transformation. The vector containing cry1Ac gene was obtained from NRCPB New Delhi. Chitinase gene was isolated from cotton plant and a construct was made at CICR, Nagpur. Shoot tip explants after Agrobacterium infection, were co-cultivated for 3-4 days on MS medium supplemented with 100mg /L myoinositol, 10mg /L thiamine, 30g /L glucose and 30mg /L acetosyringone. After co-cultivation, the explants were incubated on MS medium containing 500 mg /L carbenicillin followed by kanamycin selection to obtain putative transformants. The explants were then transferred to regeneration medium consisting of MS basal salt supplemented with kinetin (0.1mg /L), 100mg /L myoinositol, 10mg /L thiamine, 30g /L glucose or MS basal salts supplemented with BAP (2mg /L) and kinetin (1mg /L) to induce either single or multiple shoots respectively. The regenerated shoots rooted on MS supplemented with 0.05 to 0.1 mg /L NAA and 15g /L glucose. The rooted plants were acclimatized in liquid MS without hormone followed by their transfer in plastic pot containing soil-rite mix TC and grown under control temperature and relative humidity conditions. The plants were allowed to mature and were confirmed as transgenic using PCR, ELISA, Southern blot analysis.



ENGINEERING COTTON LEAF CURL VIRUS RESISTANCE COTTON THROUGH RNA INTERFERENCE APPROACH

P.K. Chakrabarty1, B. Kalbande1, R. Chavhan1, J. Warade1, D. Bajaj1, S. Sable1, S.B. Nandeshwar1 and D. Monga2

1Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India 2Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa, India

Cotton leaf curl disease is one of the serious limitations to cultivation of cotton in North India. Most predominant tetraploid hybrids and cultivars are susceptible to cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) disease. It takes several years to develop a variety by conventional breeding. Often by the time a resistant variety is derived, new strain with altered specificity might originate to overcome the resistance. During 2009-10, we characterized six recombinant strains of CLCuV, one of which G6DC, knocked down resistance of many hitherto resistant popular varieties and hybrids of cotton. Pathogen derived resistance based on cross protection and antisense approach have long been employed for management of viral diseases in plants. Discovery of RNA interference has opened up entirely new arena for its therapeutic potential in controlling virus diseases. The phenomenon is evolutionary conserved in plants, animals and fungi and is known to protect cells from invading viruses and transposons. With aim to develop virus resistant transgenic cotton, RNAi-mediated approach was employed to target CLCuV. Primers with engineered restriction sites were designed to amplify five conserved target sequences, ranging from 109-367 bp, in DNA-A and β-DNA components of the virus. DNA strands for conserved regions of each of these ORF sequences: MP, CP, AC2, βC4 and βV4, flanked with KpnI and XbaI sites to facilitate cloning in sense and antisense orientations respectively, were PCR amplified and cloned in pGemT. Two strands for each sequence was cloned individually in sense and antisense orientations in plasmid pBSK-int, 3.125 kb (HQ343203), developed by cloning 125 bp cotton chitin gene intron in plasmid pBSK (3.0 kb, Stratagene, USA). The resulting five inverted repeat constructs viz, pBSK-int-MP-SA, 3.343 kb (HQ681274), pBSK-int-CP-SA, 3.495 kb (HQ681275), pBSK-int-AC2-SA, 3.425 kb (HQ681276), pBSK-int-βC4-SA, 3.549 kb (HQ681278) and pBSK-int-βV4-SA, 3.479 kb (HQ681277) were sub-cloned in two binary vectors pBin-AR (11 Kb) and pGreen (4.6 Kb) and introduced in Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA 105 by tri-parental mating. The resulting constructs were transformed in two popular G. hirsutum cultivars, F846 and HS6 which are otherwise highly susceptible to CLCuV. Putative transformants with pBSK-int-AC2-SA was documented by PCR for presence of viral sequence, both in sense and antisense orientations. Evidence of its integration in cotton and generation of siRNA have been ascertained by Southern hybridization and Northern blotting, respectively and results will be discussed.


Concurrent Session 14 HETEROSIS BREEDING


PREDICTING F1 PERFORMANCE FROM THEIR PARENTAL PROPERTIES IN UPLAND COTTON (G. hirsutum L.)

R.K. Gumber, P. Rathore and J.S. Gill Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Station, India

Identification of promising F1 cross segregants, requires the development of a large number of crosses and their multi-location evaluation which is very laborious and resource demanding. In the present study, attempts were made to find out whether properties of parental lines viz., AFLP based genetic distance between parents, means of two parents (P) i.e. (P1+P2) /2 and absolute difference between means of two parents (|P1-P2|) can be used to predict per se performance and economic heterosis of F1 hybrids. Sixteen F1 crosses involving 11 diverse parents were evaluated in a randomized complete block design using three replications at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Station, Abohar in 2007. Out of 11 parental lines, nine parents are either approved cultivars or improved lines under cultivation in different states of India. The approved hybrid LHH 144 and open pollinated cultivar LH 1556 were included as standard checks. Each entry was accommodated in two rows plot of 8 m length. Rows were kept apart at 67.5 cm while plant-to-plant spacing was maintained at 75 cm for hybrids and 60 cm for open pollinated cultivar. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis was performed (as per the protocol) to study the molecular diversity among 11 cotton genotypes. Estimates of genetic distances between all combinations of 11 genotypes were computed. Line PIL43 with okra leaves was most diverse from other lines. It was also found that genetic distance estimated from AFLP markers is not necessarily associated with geographical diversity of parents. The study also indicated that the genetic distance was comparatively high between those parental lines that differ largely for morphological characters. AFLP genetic distance proved to be a good predictor of per se performance and economic heterosis of hybrids for seed cotton yield and boll weight. Likewise, means of the parents was a good predictor for seed cotton yield and boll number. Significant association of absolute difference between means of the two parents with per se performance and heterosis of F1 hybrids was also observed for seed cotton yield, ginning out turn and seed index, suggesting that (|P1-P2|) is a good predictor for these traits.


PREDICTION OF HETEROSIS IN AMERICAN COTTON

P. Rathore1, R.K. Gumber1 and J.S. Gill1 Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Station, India

Heterosis has been exploited successfully using conventional crossing techniques. Selection of parents is a pre-requisite in a hybrid breeding programme for obtaining heterotic F1s. An attempt was, therefore, made to study the relationship of divergence, per se performance and heterosis in 11 parents of American cotton and their 55 F1s. Eleven parents along with their 55 F1s derived from half diallel mating design were raised in a RBD with three replications. Each entry had one row of 6.0 m length with 67.5 x 60.0 cm spacing. The data were recorded on five competitive plants for seed cotton yield (g), bolls /plant, boll weight (g), monopods /plant, sympods /plant and ginning outturn (%). To study diversity among parents, the data were analysed using Mahalanobis D2-statistics. The parents were grouped in different clusters according to Touchers method. On the basis of D2-values, 11 parents were classified into four clusters. Economic heterosis of 55 F1s over best parent and check variety with seed cotton yield exhibited non-significant correlation with mean of either of the parents, inter se and cluster distance among the parents. This indicated that the parents selected on the basis of the above individual criterion need not yield heterosis. However, to arrive at some conclusion on selection of parents on the basis of their performance and diversity, multiple correlation coefficients of economic heterosis with per se performance of the parents, inter se /cluster distance were computed. Multiple correlation of economic heterosis with either of two of per se performance of both the parents and inter se /cluster distance were non-significant. However, multiple correlation of economic heterosis with per se performance of both the parents and inter se /cluster distance was significant; this indicated that the crosses involving high yielding parents having high diversity can give high heterosis.



STUDY OF HETEROSIS IN INTER VARIATAL CROSSES OF ASIATIC COTTON (G. herbaceum L.)

N.N. Patel, D.U. Patel, D.H. Patel, K.G. Patel, S.K. Chanan and V. Kumar Navsari Agricultural University, Surat, India

The desi or diploid cotton varieties are still preferred in the low rainfall areas because of their strong resistance to disease and pest, ought tolerance and suitability under rainfed conditions. These aroused the interest for developing superior hybrids in Asiatic cotton. The choice of appropriate breeding procedure for the development of high yielding varieties in intra specific hybrids of desi cotton depends on the nature and magnitude of genetic variation present with respect to yield and its contributing traits. The present investigation was carried out using line x tester analysis which comprised of four line and ten pollinator parents to obtain information regarding the extent of heterosis for seed cotton yield and yield components in G. herbaceum cotton. High better parent heterosis was observed for seed cotton yield which ranged from 23.31 to 29.25 where as standard heterosis against check G.Cot.DH-9 was ranged from â€“45.07 to 18.21. Three hybrids G.Cot -23 x GBhv 191, G.Cot 23 x GBhv 178, G.Cot 23 x GBhv 215 exhibited significant and positive heterosis for seed cotton yield over standard check. Seven cross combination namely; G.Cot 23 x GBhv 191, G.Cot 23 x GBhv 178, G.Cot 23 x GBhv 215, Jaydhar x GShv 820 /91, G.Cot 17 x GShv 384 /92, G.Cot 17 x GShv 820 /91 and G.Cot 17 x GBhv 201 showed heterobeltiosis in desired direction for seed cotton yield. The magnitude of heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis was high for seed cotton yield, boll weight and ginning percentage, medium for plant height and number of bolls per plant and low for 2.5% span length. Results indicated that generally high heterotic hybrids involved at least one good donor parent for seed cotton yield and its components. The hybrids, G.Cot 23 x GBhv 191, G.Cot 23 x GBhv 178, G. Cot 23 x GBhv 215 expected to throw better segregants in subsequent generation as these crosses involved parents having significant and positive gca effects for majority of the characters.


INTEGRATED IMPROVEMENT OF COTTON FOR YIELD, FIBRE QUALITY AND SEED UTILITY CHARACTERS

S.S. Narayanan1,2, P. Singh2 and V.V. Singh2 1Vidya Sagar Foundation, Hyderabad, 2CICR, Nagpur, India

Cotton is a cash crop of textile significance and is rightly called as queen of the fibres. It is primarily grown for lint from time immemorial. In the past, concerted efforts were made by breeders for genetic improvement of yield, fibre quality, plant type, earliness and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and appreciable progress was made. Three types of changes in the genotypes were made, viz. (i) shift from diploid to hirsutum cottons (1947-1970), (ii) from varieties to non-Bt Hybrids (1970-2002) and (iii) from non-Bt. to Bt cotton hybrids (2002 onwards). The third shift resulted in significant improvement in yield by providing effective control of bollworThere were two major problems of cotton breeding in India, viz., susceptibility to bollworms and moisture stress, as 66% of cotton crop is grown under rainfed conditions, where the crop suffers from moisture stress at some stage or other. The first problem has been significantly overcome by the introduction of Bt. cotton hybrids. However, the second still remains unsolved. In future integrated breeding efforts would be required to achieve improvement in yield, fibre quality and seed utility traits by improving ought resistance capacity of varieties and hybrids. Application of agricultural biotechnology would be required to solve the problem of moisture stress. Effective control of bollworms by introduction of Bt. cotton has contributed to huge increases in seed yield along with lint outputs as a result of which, the importance of cotton seed and its constituents have assumed new importance. It will help in solving growing food security concerns through oil and protein. The authors discuss the need for a re-look at policies and priorities in cotton improvement in India that is still confronted with lower average yields. The simultaneous improvement in yield, fibre quality and seed utility traits can be achieved by various ways such as genetic enhancement, use of agricultural biotechnology in improving fibre quality traits and inserting ought resistant gene constructs. Breeding strategies to develop newer genotypes to overcome the possible adverse effects of climate changes over time, prevailing and future labour shortages for hybrid seed production, weeding and manual picking of seed cotton, and to produce three tonnes seed cotton by 2025 have been discussed.



EFFECT OF ALIEN CYTOPLASM AND NUCLEAR GENES IN ALLOPLASMIC X EUPLASMIC AND EUPLASMIC X EUPLASMIC HYBRIDS

IN UPLAND COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum)

O.P. Tuteja CICR Regional Station, Sirsa, India

Cotton is an often cross pollinated crop with a considerable amount of heterosis. first conventional hybrid was developed in India. In other countries hybrid seed production by conventional method is not possible as it is labour intensive. Several alternate methods for emasculation are available, of which GMS and CMS systems are quite effective. In case of other methods there is always a chance of pistil damage and anthers are not completely eliminated. In case of GMS and CMS systems only CMS system may be more effective, as in GMS system 50% of the plants of have to be rouged out at flowering. Use of CMS line approach may prove to be the best method for hybrid seed production in cotton. The success in development of CMS based hybrid largely depends on availability of stable male sterile cytoplasm and the effective restorer lines. However, the CMS system could not be exploited commercially because the alien cytoplasm and nuclear genes exhibited their deleterious effect on yield and related traits. The study was oriented to find out the effect of alien cytoplasm in alloplasmic x euplasmic hybrids in first experiment, and the effect of alien cytoplasm as well as of nuclear genes in the alloplasmic x euplasmic and euplasmic x euplasmic hybrids respectively, in the second experiment. The hybrids for both the experiments were produced using Line x Tester mating system. Yield and contributing traits exhibited superiority of conventional euplasmic x euplasmic hybrids over CMS based alloplasmic x euplasmic hybrids in both the experiments and over GMS based euplasmic x euplasmic hybrids in second experiment. CMS based alloplasmic x euplasmic hybrids were superior over GMS based euplasmic x euplasmic hybrids in the second experiment for yield and boll weight. However, for fibre quality traits the trend of performance was variable. Alien cytoplasm and nuclear genes did not exhibit deleterious effects for fibre quality related traits, even though a gain was reported in some of the CMS based alloplasmic x euplasmic hybrids for 2.5% span length and uniformity ratio over the euplasmic x euplasmic hybrids in the first experiment. In the second experiment, CMS based alloplasmic x euplasmic hybrids expressed their superiority over the GMS based euplasmic x euplasmic hybrids for most of the fibre quality traits. The average performance of conventional euplasmic x euplasmic hybrids were unambiguously superior over the two type of hybrids for yield and its component traits.


Concurrent Session 15 NOVEL APPROACHES FOR PEST MANAGEMENT


IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL SOURCE OF RESISTANCE TO ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE IN COTTON

Fabiane C. Mota1, M. Giband2,3, M.D.G. Carneiro1, E.H. Silva4, C. Furlanetto4, M. Nicole5, P.A.V. Barroso3 and Regina M.D.G. Carneiro1

1Embrapa Recursos Genticos e Biotecnologia, 2CIRAD-UMR AGAP, 3Embrapa Algodo-Nucleo Cerrado, 4Universidade De Brasilia-Departamento de Fitopatologia ,5IRD-UMR RPB, Brazil

The root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita Kofoid and White 1919, Chitwood 1949 is a major constraint in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production in numerous countries. The importance of this pest has been increasing over the years, thus becoming one of the major causes of yield reduction in some cotton-growing regions. Control of RKN has been hampered by the lack of options for crop rotation and even more, by the lack of high-quality local varieties exhibiting high levels of resistance. The development of such varieties would undoubtedly benefit cotton producers. High levels of resistance occur in breeding lines (Auburn 623 RNR and its derivatives), but the high level of resistance displayed by these lines has not been readily transferred to cultivated varieties. In addition to these sources, resistance to RKN is also found in wild tetraploid cotton (G. hirsutum and G. barbadense) accessions that represent valuable resources for novel genes /mechanisms to be used for cotton improvement. In this work, accessions of Gossypium spp. were evaluated for resistance to RKN in greenhouse experiments. Responses to infection by M. incognita varied among the tested accessions, ranging from highly susceptible to resistant. Some accessions displayed a significant reduction in the nematode reproduction. Histological observations of one of the highly resistant G. barbadense accession (CIR 1348) showed that resistance may occur through two mechanisms: (1) Early after the penetration of J2, the development of later-stage juveniles (J3 /J4) and female adults is suppressed. Examination of sections under fluorescence and bright light microscopy revealed that root cells surrounding nematodes exhibited a hypersensitivity-like reaction, showing accumulation of phenolic compounds and the presence of necrotic cells that may limit the development of nematodes and the formation of giant cells. (2) At a later stage, deformed J3 /J4 nematodes were observed in few numbers alongside giant cells that displayed a degenerated cytoplasmic content. The highly resistant accession CIR1348 was crossed with a susceptible one (FiberMax 966) to generate F1 and F2 plants for further genetics studies. Analysis of the response of these F1 and F2 plants to RKN infection indicated that resistance is recessive, and controlled by a major gene. The characterization of defense mechanisms associated with this novel source of resistance of cotton to the RKN M incognita constituted a first step towards its use in crop improvement.


CAN TOMATO BE A POTENTIAL HOST PLANT FOR PINK BOLLWORM?

A. Niv1, M. Rippa2 and A.R. Horowitz2

ARO, Israel

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) is a major pest of cotton in Israel. During the past ten years, the pest has spread all over the country, resulting in a real threat to cotton growth. Recently, suspicious pink bollworm larvae found inside processed tomatoes were reported by growers from northern Israel. As tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has not been recorded as a host plant for the pink bollworms, a laboratory study was conducted to find out whether pink bollworm neonates can penetrate tomato fruits and complete a whole life cycle. About 30 ripe tomato fruits with their vines were put into plastic cups along with twenty pink bollworm eggs placed on each fruit. The fruits were held under standard laboratory conditions at 27±2°C, 50% humidity and photoperiod of 14:10 hours light: dark conditions. Every few days the fruits were checked. After 4-6 days, tiny holes were found on the upper part of the tomato fruit underneath the sepal. Later on, pink bollworm larvae were found into the fruits eating the flesh and seeds. Two weeks later, exit holes were created and larvae opped ? down and pupated. Adults that emerged from the pupae mated normally and laid fertile eggs. In conclusion, the pink bollworm has succeeded to complete a whole life cycle in tomato fruit. Further experiments will be carried out to learn whether the pink bollworm females would lay eggs spontaneously on tomato fruits along with choice experiments between cotton and tomato plants.



CAN NATURAL REFUGES DELAY INSECT RESISTANCE TO GM COTTON?

T. Brévault, S. Nibouche2, J. Achaleke3 and Y. Carrire4 1CIRAD, UR 102, 2CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, 3IRAD, PRASAC-ARDESAC, 4University of Arizona

Non-cotton host plants without Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins can provide refuges that delay resistance to Bt cotton in polyphagous insect pests. It has proven difficult, however, to determine the effective contribution of such refuges and their role in delaying resistance evolution. Here we used biogeochemical markers to quantify movement of Helicoverpa armigera moths from non-cotton hosts to cotton fields throughout the cropping season, in three agricultural landscapes of the West African cotton belt (Cameroon) where Bt cotton was absent. We showed that the contribution of non-cotton hosts as a source of moths was spatially and temporally variable, but at least equivalent to a 7.5% sprayed refuge of non-Bt cotton. Simulation models incorporating H. armigera biological parameters, however, indicate that planting non-Bt cotton refuges may be needed to significantly delay resistance to cotton producing the toxins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab. Specifically, when the concentration of one toxin (here Cry1Ac) declined seasonally, resistance to Bt cotton occurred rapidly when refuges of non-Bt cotton were rare, because resistance was essentially given by one toxin (here Cry2Ab). The use of biogeochemical markers to quantify insect movement can provide a valuable tool to evaluate the role of non-cotton refuges in delaying the evolution of H. armigera resistance to Bt cotton.


ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF RESISTANCE TO Bt COTTON IN AUSTRALIAN Helicoverpa spp.

T. Walsh, S.J. Downes, T. Parker, B. James and R. Mahon CSIRO, Australia

In Australia, monitoring Helicoverpa species for resistance to the Cry2Ab toxin in second generation Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton has fulfilled its intended function: to warn of increases in resistance frequencies that may lead to field failures. Prior to the widespread adoption of two-gene Bt cotton (Bollgard II), the frequency of Cry2Ab resistance alleles was at least 0.001 in H. armigera and H. punctigera. In the six years hence, there has been a statistically significant increase in the frequency of alleles conferring Cry2Ab resistance in field populations of H. punctigera. In this presentation we review the history of deploying and managing resistance to Bt cotton in Australia, outline the characteristics of the isolated resistance that likely impact on resistance evolution, and use a simple model to predict likely imminent resistance frequencies. We then discuss potential strategies to mitigate further increases in resistance frequencies, including the release of a third generation product that utilizes the novel vegetative insecticidal protein Vip3A. The robustness of the Vip3A inclusive variety will depend on resistance frequencies to Vip3A and to Cry2Ab when it is released (anticipated 2014) and the efficacy of Vip3A throughout the season. The area planted to Bt-crops is anticipated to continue to rise worldwide and many biotechnical companies intend to add Vip3A to existing products; therefore the strategies being considered in Australia are likely to relate to other situations.



INSECTICIDAL TOXIN GENES FROM BACTERIAL SYMBIONT OF THERMO-TOLERANT ISOLATE OF Heterorhabditis indica, ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODE

N. Gokte-Narkhedkar, K. Bhanare and P. Nawkarkar Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) and their bacterial symbiont offer a very effective arsenal against insects. It is known that insecticidal activity of entomopathogenic nematodes stem largely from their bacterial symbionts. A heat tolerant isolate of EPN Heterorhabditis indica was selected and developed which was capable of infecting insect larvae at temperatures as high as 400C. Apart from bacterial symbiont Photorhabdus sp. which is a known symbiont associated with Heterorhabditid nematodes and is known for insecticidal action of EPN against lepidopteran pests, another bacterial isolate was found associated with this EPN isolate and this new bacterium was found to show efficacy against sucking pests as mealy bug and white flies. Therefore, efforts were initiated to identify and characterize bacterial symbiont as well as new bacterial isolate and also clone insecticidal genes responsible for insecticidal activity from both Photorhabdus and this bacterium associated with EPN. Biochemical and molecular characterization was carried out for the bacterial symbiont and the bacterial isolate found associated with EPN. The biochemical parameters taken up were colony morphology on Nutrient Agar, Gram Stain, Pigmentation, Levan production, Methyl Red, Voges-Proskauer Test, starch hyolysis, oxygen requirement, H2S production, indole production, nitrate reduction, urease test, ADH test, citrate, catalase, gelatinase, motility, tyrosinase and galactosidase tests. Carbohyates fermentation studies for the bacterial isolate were carried out for 21 carbohyates. For DNA finger printing, 16s RNA was amplified and 1.5Kb amplicon was sequenced and blasted. The sequence of bacterial symbiont had 94% similarity with Photorhabdus luminescens while bacterial isolate found associated with EPN had 96% similarity with Paenibacillus. The sequences are being submitted to NCBI. This appears to be the first record of Paenibacillus spp. from India. Primers were designed for amplification of toxin genes. Amplicon of three genes D6TcdA2, GI TcdB and G5 Tcd A2 (750bp-1kb) were cloned and sequenced. The sequences had 95% similarity with Photorhabdus toxins having oral and intrahaemocoleic toxicity. Further work on cloning full length gene and expression of protein using prokaryotic expression vector system is underway.


Concurrent Session 16 CLIMATE CHANGE AND ADAPTATION


CLIMATE DISRUPTIONS TO FIBER YIELD GROWTH

Kater Hake Cotton Incorporated, USA

Even if the rate of increase in greenhouse gas emissions went to zero immediately, climate disruptions would impact global agriculture. Severity of rainfall, ought and temperature extremes are forecast to increase. Although agriculture can play a role in mitigation, its most important role is adaptation since agriculture must continue to feed and clothe the growing global demand, iven by population and the middle class in Asia. Cotton is ideally suited to tolerate adverse weather due to its morphological plasticity, physiological stress tolerance and high level of farmer expertise. Although any one storm event cannot be attributed to climate disruption, events in 2010 and 2011 provide windows into the adversity that farming will likely face in the future and into the research and implementation necessary to prosper despite adversity. The latest research on climate impacts of cotton production and adaption will be reviewed. Current examples of beneficial adaptation include: supplemental, high-efficiency irrigation; field ainage; no-till and conservation tillage; cropping systems diversification; community pest management; planting date flexibility; risk management policies; planting seed infrastructure; cotton co-products utilization; and farmer expertise. Examples of research to further enhance adaptation include: stress tolerance traits and germplasm; fiber yield enhancement; nitrogen use efficiency; site specific monitoring and input management; and fiber quality innovations. Research and implementation will be discussed in the context of both mechanized and traditional cotton production systems.


EFFECT OF COOL CONDITIONS ON COTTON SEEDLINGS

D.K.Y. Tan1, S. Ormiston1, M.P. Bange2 and J.S. Amthor1 1Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney,

2CSIRO, Division of Plant Industry and Cotton, Australia

Sub-optimal temperatures reduce cotton germination, seedling emergence and early vigour. Cotton is considered sensitive to chilling and cotton seeds exposed to cold temperature experience slower seedling emergence which can lead to poor and delayed stand establishment. Strategies that provide early season cold tolerance will improve cotton growth when cold temperatures are experienced early or may provide growers with increased flexibility for planting times especially in cool season regions. Ensuring better establishment under cold conditions should reduce costs associated with replanting and contribute to greater crop plant stand uniformity which will assist in attaining optimum yield, and fibre quality. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are a potential option of increasing cotton seedling hardiness against cool temperatures and we propose that PGRs such as paclobutrazol and trinexapac-ethyl may have the potential to improve cold tolerance in cotton seedlings.



INDUSTRIAL-AGE CHANGES IN CLIMATE AFFECT COTTON PHYSIOLOGY AND PRODUCTIVITY

Katrina Broughton1,3, D.K.Y. Tan1, D.T. Tissue2, M.P. Bange3 and J.S. Amthor1 1Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney,

2Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, 3CSIRO, Division of Plant Industry and Cotton Catchment Communities, CRC, Australia

Industrial-age changes in climate rising CO2 concentration, warming and altered precipitation - may have significant impacts on the physiology and yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), which is a globally important crop. Elevated CO2 concentration improves water use efficiency of the plant by reducing stomatal conductance and increases photosynthesis, but this depends on other factors such as temperature and water availability. Cotton is susceptible to high temperatures and optimum temperature for growth and physiology is dependent on the developmental stage. High temperatures (>35oC) during the day can reduce photosynthesis impacting fruit retention and lowering yield. However the impact of climate change will vary across different cotton-growing regions in the world. Some cool season growing regions may have improved yields as a result of increased duration of reproductive growth. Water availability during critical growth periods may affect physiological processes and productivity. Increased temperature also increases the quantity of water required for evapo-transpiration. However, transpiration rates are lower for plants grown in high CO2 environments, which may deplete soil moisture more slowly. This may be important if precipitation is reduced as a result of climate change. Agricultural productivity is sensitive to climate change because there are both positive effects (i.e. increasing CO2 and improved water use efficiency) and negative impacts (higher temperatures and increased evapo-transpiration). This paper presents research adessing the challenge to understand how the interaction between increasing temperatures, humidity, CO2, and changes in water availability (including changes in precipitation and reductions in irrigation water) impact physiology and productivity of cotton.


COTTON PESTICIDES AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK

Ivan Kennedy University of Sydney, Australia

Cotton production has benefited significantly regarding reduced environmental risk from the introduction of GM technology. In Australia, this process resulted in reduced use of the insecticide endosulfan from 600 tonnes active ingredient per crop of 200,000 ha to about one-tenth this amount, effectively saving the industry. It is estimated that the 10-year transition from endosulfan to Bollgard II cost $50million, but its benefits were well worth the expense. However, herbicides and other agrochemicals remain a significant environmental risk. Reducing this risk is challenging, but would also be worth the cost in environmental benefits and promotion of a more valuable 'green' cotton brand. Research in Australia aimed at this objective has focused on catchment-based environmental risk assessment and development of rapid field test kits for residue monitoring in water. This paper will present a framework sketching this process and allowing desirable environmental benefits to be achieved as part of a participatory social contract.



MULTI-LEVEL DETERMINATION FOR HEAT TOLERANCE OF COTTON CULTIVARS

N. Cottee1,2,3, M. Bange1,2,3, D. Tan2,3, I. Wilson4, T. Cothren5 and L. Campbell2,3 1CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, 2Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sydney,

3Cotton Catchment Communities CRC, 4CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, 5Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Australia

High temperatures (>35oC) are common throughout the cotton growing season in many regions and may adversely affect the growth and development potential of the crop, ultimately limiting yield. Development of stress screening techniques will enable selection of heat tolerant genotypes for incorporation into future breeding prograThis study used a multi-level approach to assess whether genotypic differences in morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular performance under heat stress translated to superior yield performance in the field. High yielding Australian cotton cultivars of known and differing yield performance in hot environments were grown under field and growth cabinet conditions in Narrabri, Australia and College Station, USA to evaluate measurements that could be used to identify mechanisms of heat tolerance. Measurements included yield, fruit retention, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration, chlorophyll fluorescence, cell membrane integrity, dehyogenase viability and expression of specific genes in response to elevated temperatures. This study revealed that cultivar differences (P<0.05) were found at all levels of measurement under elevated temperatures but the biochemical assays were the most consistent in explaining physiological performance which led to differences in yield. While genotypic differences were found for expression of genes associated with physiological and biochemical processes, a multi-level approach incorporating morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular indicators should be included in a screening programme for heat tolerance to ensure that genotypes selected would contribute to improvements in economic yield.


Concurrent Session 17 CROP ESTABLISHMENT AND PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES


EVALUATION OF COTTON GENOTYPES FOR HIGH DENSITY PLANTING SYSTEMS ON RAINFED VERTISOLS OF CENTRAL INDIA

M.V. Venugopalan, A.H. Prakash, K.R. Kranthi, R. Deshmukh,

M.S. Yadav and N.R. Tandulkar Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

The availability of effective alternate weed and pest management strategies has rekindled interest on high density cotton planting systems worldwide. Since cotton breeding has not concentrated on developing genotypes especially for high density planting in India, some promising genotypes of both Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium arboreum were evaluated for their performance at higher planting densities in a field trial under rainfed conditions at the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur during 2010-11.The region is characterized by a hot, y sub-humid climate and the soil was a Typic Haplustert, low in organic C and available P but rich in available K. Five genotypes of G. hirsutum (Anjali, CCH 724, NISC 50, PKV 081 and CNH 120MB) were evaluated at 5 crop densities viz. 60x30, 45x20, 45x13.5, 30x30 and 30x20cm. Similarly five genotypes of G. arboreum (AKA 07, CINA 404, PA 255, PA 08, JK 5) were also evaluated at 5 crop densities viz. 60x15, 45x13.5, 45x10, 30x20 and 30x15cm. Results indicated that among G. hirsutums, genotype PKV 081 was found most suitable for high density planting at 30x20 cm and 45x13.6 cm (both corresponding to 166000 plants /ha) in terms of yield, morphology, earliness, tolerance to sucking pests and boll weight. In G. arboreum, CINA 404 gave the highest yield of 2174 kg seed cotton /ha at 45x10 cm (222000 plants /ha). However, other high yielding genotypes viz., JK 5 (1842 kg seed cotton /ha) and AKA 07 (1815 kg seed cotton /ha) were dwarf and more compact than CINA 404. Across genotypes, a spacing of 45x13.5 cm for G hirsutum and 45x10 cm for G arboreum was optimum for planting short compact plant types. In both G. hirsutum and G. arboreum genotypes, the boll weight and harvest index decreased with increasing plant density. The latter in turn, decreased nutrient utilization efficiency. Nevertheless, in all the genotypes of both the species, the nutrient uptake efficiency and partial factor productivity for N increased with increase in planting density. The partial factor productivity of N ranged from 10.6 to 21.8 kg seed cotton /kg N applied and 18.3 to 22.8 seed cotton /kg N applied in G. hirsutum and G.arboreum genotypes respectively and PKV 081 and CINA 404 recorded the highest values.



PRUNING AND DETOPPING STUDIES IN Bt COTTON

S.S. Hallikeri, B.C. Patil, R.A. Nandagavi and R. Malik ARS Dharwad, Karnataka, India

Management of excessive growth is a challenging task in cotton especially under high moisture and fertile conditions. Failure of translation of reproductive phase in to final yield leads to sudden spurt of growth. Under such situations vegetative growth reaches yield limiting levels. Techniques to minimize excess growth are detopping during heavy growth stage and pruning of monopodes at early growth period (40-50 DAS). In Bt cotton, curtailing excess growth and altering planting geometry may become an option to accomodate higher planting density per unit area. A study on pruning and detopping of Bt cotton was undertaken at ARS, Dharwad for three years from 2006-09 in a medium deep black soil. Experiment was laidout on split-split-plot design with detopping at 80 DAS and no detopping as main plots, retaining of only one, two, three or all monopodia as sub-plots and planting geometry of 90x 30 cm, 90 x 60 cm as the sub-sub-plots. Results indicated that detopping had no significant effect on seed cotton yield (2116 kg /ha) when compared with no detopping (2149 kg /ha). Growth factors like plant height and sympodial numbers were significantly reduced by detopping indicating reduced growth and no effect on productivity. Further, pruning of monopodia reduced yield to the tune of 3.6 to 5.0% but it was not significant. Similar behavior was observed in yield components. Hence pruning of monopodes had no advantage to increase yield and reduce growth. Planting geometry with closer spacing of 90 x 30 cm produced significantly higher seed cotton yield (2264 kg /ha) as compared to 90 x 60 cm (2001 kg /ha). Productivity per plant, number of bolls per plant and boll weight significantly increased at wider spacing. From the interactions it was observed that either pruning of monopodia or detopping of terminal portion had no advantage with any of the planting geometry. Hence, reduced plant type had no advantage to produce higher yield at higher density of population (90 x 30 cm). But detopping had an effect to reduce height and sympodial numbers. Hence from the study it can be concluded that growth-reducing function like detopping can be adopted under excess growth situations without affecting productivity whereas, pruning of monopodia had negative effect on productivity or no advantage on growth functions.


AGRONOMIC EVALUATION OF Bt COTTON HYBRID (RCH 134 Bt) UNDER VARIED CROP GEOMETRIES AND FERTILIZER LEVELS IN CANAL COMMAND AREA OF NORTH-WEST RAJASTHAN

P.L. Nehra and P.S. Yadav Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University

Agricultural Research Station, Sriganganagar, India The study was carried out with the objective to find out the optimum plant spacing and fertilizer dose for Bt cotton hybrid. A field experiment was conducted during kharif (monsoon) season of 2006-08 at ARS, Sriganganagar. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design. The treatment combinations comprised of three plant spacings (108 x 45 cm, 108 x 60 cm and 67.5 x 60 cm,) and three fertilizer levels (75, 100 and 125% RDF kg /ha) with check RS 2013. Phosphorus was applied as basal through DAP as per treatment. Nitrogen was applied through urea, 1 /3 at basal, 1 /3 at first irrigation and 1 /3 at square initiation. The data on plant height, boll weight, number of bolls /plant and seed cotton yield were recorded. Results indicated that the highest seed cotton yield was recorded under the narrow spacing of 67.5 x 60 cm but it was statistically at par with wider spacing of 108 x45 and 108 x 60 cm spacing. Application of 100% RDF (150 kg N & 40 kg P2O5 /ha) seems to be the optimum dose for RCH 134 Bt which was significantly superior to 75% RDF (2840 kg /ha) and remained statistically at par with 125% RDF (3213 kg /ha).Bt hybrid RCH 134 gave 37.81% higher seed cotton yield than G. hirsutum Variety RS 2013. Thus additional fertilizer dose may not be needed for Bt hybrid even though the yield may be higher. On the basis of three years data it was concluded that 108 X 60 cm spacing with application of 100% RDF (150 kg N & 40 kg P2O5 /ha) seems to be the optimum dose for RCH 134 Bt cotton hybrid in Canal command area of North-west Rajasthan.



COTTON GENOTYPES PERFORMANCE UNDER RAINFED AND IRRIGATED CONDITIONS IN TWO REGIONS OF NORTHERN ARGENTINA

M. Paytas1 and J. Tarrago2

1INTA EEA, Reconquista, 2INTA EEA, Las Brenas, Argentina

Narrow-row cotton production systems have become popular in Argentina in the last few years. It is mainly cultivated under rainfed conditions as a low input crop which is challenging and highly risky. However, irrigation practices would improve the current genotypes’ performance with higher seed cotton yield. Increased resource availability by irrigation may reduce the variability in yield produced under rainfed conditions across different environments. This research aimed to understand the differences in growth, development and yield of two cotton genotypes under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Experiments were conducted during 2010-11 under rainfed and irrigated conditions at the Research Station of INTA Reconquista, Santa Fe (29º11´S, 59º42’ W) and INTA Las Brenas, Chaco (27º05´S, 61º06’ W). The annual rainfall and its distribution, temperatures, evaporative demand and soil types differ between both cotton regions. The experimental design in each location was a split plot design with four replications: two genotypes (NuOpal and DP402) under two moisture levels (rainfed and irrigated) with 0.52 meter between rows and 11 plants per meter. The results obtained have shown differences between genotypes in terms of days to crop maturity. Earliness was found for DP402 for both the locations compared with NuOpal. However, no significant differences in terms of phenology were found between rainfed and irrigated conditions due the amount of soil water content available from rainfall for the plant in both the systey matter production and partitioning to reproductive organs was affected by genotypes and moisture levels. DP402 with shorter vegetative and reproductive stages produced significant differences in y matter between moisture levels than NuOpal with later maturity.%age of fruit retention increased by maturity in DP402 compared with NuOpal under both rainfed and irrigated conditions, although NuOpal produced higher number of nodes and fruiting sites but higher fruit abortions in the lower part of the plan



STUDIES ON THE SEED COTTON YIELD AND YIELD CONTRIBUTING CHARACTERS OF NEW Bt COTTON HYBRIDS UNDER VARIED AGRONOMIC MANIPULATIONS

K. Singh, H. Singh, R.K. Umber and P. Rathore PAU Regional Research Station, Faridkot, India

A field experiment was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Faridkot during the Kharif (monsoon) season 2010. The treatments comprised of three hybrids (MRC 7361, Bioseed 6488 and RCH 134) in main, two crop geometries (67.5 x 75 cm and 67.5 x 90 cm) in sub and three nutrient levels -100% of RDF (150 kg N, 30 kg P /ha), 125% of RDF (187.5 kg N, 37.5 kg P /ha) & 150% of RDF (225 Kg N, 45 kg P /ha} in sub-sub plots of split plot design replicated thrice. The soil of the experimental site was loamy in texture, slightly alkaline in reaction (pH 8.7) with normal EC (0.40 m mhos /cm), medium in OC (0.48%) but low in available P (7.5 kg /ha) and high in available K (750 kg /ha).C 7361 hybrid recorded significantly higher seed cotton yield (2795 kg /ha) as compared to Bioseed 6488 (2217 kg /ha) and RCH 134 (1897 kg /ha) due to more number of bolls, monopods and sympods per plant. It outyielded Bioseed 6488 and RCH 134 by 26.1 and 47.3% respectively. Boll weight was also significantly higher inC 7361 hybrid as compared to the other hybrids. Though spacing levels did not affect the yield significantly but number of bolls /plant was significantly higher under spacing level of 67.5x90 cm. Among nutrient levels,150% RD fertilizer produced 35.3% higher yield (2591 kg /ha) than recommended fertilizer (1914 kg /ha) though it was at par with 125% RD fertilizer (2404 kg /ha). Significantly, improved number of monopods and sympods /plant were with 150% RD fertilizer than the 100% fertilizer level were responsible for better yield. GOT, lint and seed yield forC 7361 was found to be significantly better than Bioseed 6488 and RCH 134 hybrids. Fertilizer use efficiency (4.9) and water productivity (532.4 g /m3) were significantly higher in C 7361 hybrid while RCH 134 exhibited least indices for FUE (3.24) as well as water productivity (361.3). FUE was lower with 150% RD fertilizer (3.69) as compared to other levels. Significantly higher net returns of Rs. 88971 /ha were observed withC 7361 as compared to Bioseed 6488 (Rs. 67301 /ha) and RCH 134 (Rs. 55287 /ha). Spacing level of 67.5 x 90 cm produced higher B:C ratio (3.34) than 67.5 x 75 cm (3.07). Among NP levels, significantly higher net returns (Rs.80912 /ha) were recorded for 150% RD level than 100% RD (Rs. 56351) though it was statistically at par with 125% RD level (Rs.74297).


Concurrent Session 18 VALUE ADDITION AND TEXTILES


THE USE OF COTTON BYPRODUCTS AND FUNGAL MYCELIUM IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BIODEGRADABLE FORMED PACKAGING

AND INSULATION PANELS

G.A. Holt, G. McIntyre and E. Bayerb USDA-ARS, Ecovative Design, LLC USA

Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics and is commonly produced in three forms: 1) Extruded polystyrene - disposable utensils, CD /DVD cases, yogurt containers, smoke alarm housing, etc.; 2) Expanded polystyrene foam – molded packaging materials and packaging "peanuts"; 3) Extruded polystyrene foam - insulation boards. Extruded polystyrene foam is commonly sold under the name of StyrofoamTM. Polystyrene packaging and insulation is a multibillion dollar a year industry. Since polystyrene is non-biodegradable, a biodegradable material that is eco-friendly is being sought as a substitute for packaging and insulation board consumers. One such process, developed by Ecovative Design, LLC, involves growing fungal species on cotton byproducts to produce an eco-friendly packaging product (EcoCradleTM) and insulation panels (GreensulateTM). The objective of this research was to develop and evaluate various blends of processed cotton-based biomass (CBB) materials as a substrate for colonization of useful fungi in the manufacture of molded packaging material and insulation panels. Tests were conducted to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of packaging and insulation material produced from six CBB blends. Evaluations were conducted on samples produced using a fungus selected from the Ganoderma tsugae group, using two inoculation methods, grain and liquid suspension. Properties evaluated included: density, strength (compressive and flexural), dimensional stability, modulus of elasticity, colonization rate, thermal conductivity, water absorption, and accelerated aging. Results revealed blends that met or exceeded expanded polystyrene and /or customer specifications. One of the higher performing blends was used to launch EcoCradle TM with two Fortune 500 companies.


COTTON STALK—AN ADDITIONAL RAW MATERIAL TO BOARD INDUSTRY

R.M. Gurjar, P.G. Patil, A.J. Shaikh and R.H. Balasubramanya Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, India

A supply chain model comprising collection, cleaning and chipping of cotton stalks and their transportation to board manufacturing factories has been evolved. Pilot plant trials and large scale industrial trials have been conducted for making particle board and hardboard from cotton stalk. The techno-economic feasibility of manufacturing boards from cotton stalk has been demonstrated to board industry which is now convinced about its potential. In the not-very-distant future, many particle board manufacturers are likely to start using cotton stalk as an alternative raw material in place of sugarcane bagasse and hardwood. Once the industrial use of this agrowaste picks up, the farmer would be able to earn additional income from the sale of cotton stalk to the particle board manufacturers. Growth of industrial activity, rural employment generation and conservation of forest resources are other national benefits that are bound to follow.



MECHANISM OF PLASMA REACTION OF 1, 3-BUTADIENE ON CELLULOSIC TEXTILE

K.K. Samanta, M. Jassal and A.K. Agrawal CIRCOT, Mumbai, India

Nano-scale surface engineering of textile substrates by atmospheric pressure plasma reaction is gaining interest in the research community to develop different value added functional textiles such as water and oil repellent hyophobic, superhyophobic, permanent hyophilic, flame retardent, and antimicrobial. Improvement in dyeing, printing & adhesion may also be obtained by modifying the fibre surface. Atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma has promise for commercialization in textile industry as it can be integrated inline with the existing textile processes. Plasma reaction is a complex process involving both constructive as well as destructive types of reactions, resulting in different intermediate and end products. As a result of this, it is difficult to control, and the mechanism of plasma reaction with substrates is not very clear till date. In the present study, an attempt has been made to reveal the mechanism of plasma reaction of 1,3-butadiene (BD) with cellulosic textile with an aim to impart hyophobic functionality. Stable He /BD plasma was generated at a discharge voltage and frequency of 4.7 kV and 17 kHz. Optical emission spectra (OES) of He /BD plasma showed the steady state intensity (concentration) of plasma species of He and BD in real time, which is an indication of controlled fragmentation and reaction of BD with textile. After the plasma reaction, hyophilic cellulosic textile became highly hyophobic. As a result of this, water absorbency time increased to > 60 min and contact angle to 142° for the 12 min plasma treated sample from < 1 s and ~ 0°, respectively, in the untreated sample. Upon soap washing there was some decrease in water absorbency time and water contact angle. However, the sample still remained highly hyophobic, indicating that plasma reaction of BD has taken place with cellulosic textile. XPS analysis showed that surface carbon percentage increased by 33.87% for the 12 min plasma treated soap washed samples, whereas, the O percentage was decreased by a similar extent. This increase in C% was mainly due to the attachment of -CH2 & -CH3 groups with cellulose by forming covalent bonds. The decrease in O% was mainly due to the removal of -OH & -C-O-C- bonds of cellulose. Similar to XPS, SIMS analysis showed the decrease of (O?+OH?) /(C?+CH?) ratio from 2.75 in the untreated sample to 0.97 in the 12 min plasma treated sample. The results suggested that successful incorporation of -CH2 & -CH3 moieties and removal of -OH and -C-O-C- moieties from the surface of the cellulosic substrate upon plasma treatment were responsible for converting a highly hyophilic surface into a hyophobic surface. GC-MS analysis of the plasma exhaust gases revealed that during plasma reaction with BD, mainly two types of species were formed dimer of 1,3 butadiene (110 /108 a.m.u.) and species with seven carbon atoms (93, 95, 96, and 98 a.m.u.). Based on GC-MS, XPS and SIMS analysis, a possible mechanism of plasma reaction of BD with cellulosic textile has been proposed. SEM, AFM and SIMS analysis showed that all the physical & chemical modifications took place only on the surface of the fibres at nano-meter level. Plasma reactions, being a y technology, can be effectively used to impart hyophobic functionality to cellulosic textiles while adessing environmental issues.



ENZYME /ZINC CHLORIDE PRETREATMENT OF SHORT-STAPLE COTTON FIBRES FOR ENERGY REDUCTION DURING NANO-FIBRILLATION BY REFINING PROCESS

V. Nadanathangam1, V. Karande1, G.B. Hadge1, S.T. Mhaske2 and A.K. Bharimalla1 1Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, 2Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India

Cellulose is a renewable, biodegradable and the most abundant biopolymer available on the earth. Natural Cellulosic fibers are synthesized mainly in plants and cellulose constitutes 40-50% of wood, 80% of flax and 90% of cotton fibers. Microfibrils are defined as the fibers of 0.1-1.0 Î¼m diameter, with high aspect ratio and nanofibrils are at least one dimension in nanometer scale (1-100 nm). Nanofibrils of cellulose have potential use in high efficiency filters, tissue scaffolds and as reinforcing agent in composites. In this work, short-staple cotton fibres are processed by refining for the production of nanofibrils. The refining process, through shear force, pumps water into the secondary layer and loosens the compactness of fibrillar structure by disrupting the hyogen bonding. To enhance the efficiency of refining process, pretreatments using enzyme /zinc chloride were developed to open up the primary layer. Cellulase enzyme pretreatment hyolyzed the surface molecules in cellulose while zinc chloride acts as a swelling agent thereby increasing the accessibility to secondary layer. Since the refining is a continuous process with very low residence time, minimum of 30 passes were required for complete fibrillation resulting in huge energy consumption. With pretreatments, the required number of passes for nano-fibrillation reduced astically to fifteen only. Degree of polymerization of cotton fibres (11188) significantly reduced to 8144 in the case of fibrillation without pretreatment while it was 5147 and 6949 in the case of fibrillation with enzymatic and zinc chloride pretreatments respectively. Energy required (for 20 g of cotton fibres) for initial 5 passes for fibrillation without pretreatment and enzyme and zinc chloride pretreatments are 1.346, 0.6764 and 0.8053 MJ, respectively. In subsequent passes, no significant difference was noticed. The pretreated fibres showed more than 50% reduction in energy consumption during refining process. The refining of the cotton fibers without pretreatment required at least 30 passes to achieve a fibril diameter of 400 nm whereas still smaller size (~100nm) could be achieved only in 15 passes using enzymatic /zinc chloride pretreatments. Nanofibrils of cellulose thus produced are now being evaluated for their use as fillers in biopolymer nanocomposites for use in food packaging. This presentation includes the optimization of various process parameters for both pretreatment and refining; characterization of nanofibrils by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction; and analysis of degree of polymerization and energy consumption.



OPTIMAL COTTON COVERED JUTE, NYLON AND METAL CORE SPUN YARNS FOR FUNCTIONAL TEXTILES: PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION

S. Chattopadhyay1, A. Yadav1, V. Kadam1, B. Venugopal1, D. Upadhye1, V. Gotmare2 and A. Jeenga2

1Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai 2Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, Mumbai, India

The present paper explored producing cotton covered jute, nylon and metal core spun yarns using a EF-3000 Friction Spinning machine. In the core-sheath yarn, the cotton fibres were optimally used as sheaths by just covering and twisting them around the core components. All the yarn samples were converted into suitable technical fabrics and evaluated for their properties. Fabrics made from cotton-jute core yarn were used for making upholstery fabrics with soft surface feel, better covering and aesthetic improvement with color and design. Since the cost of jute is much lower than cotton, the product will be cost-effective compared to 100% cotton fabric. The awback of yellowing of jute on storage, has also been tackled because of jute strand being covered by cotton fibres. Cotton-nylon core yarns showed good mechanical properties, with a positive linear relation between the core content and the yarn breaking tenacity. The interface produced by the cotton sheath helped anchoring the fabric with rubber matrix without the need of any chemical treatment, such as Resorcinol Formaldehyde Latex (RFL) adhesive treatment. The composite thus produced resulted in a minimum peel bond strength of 3.11 kN /m between the rubber and the fabric, and is suitable for application in beltings. The cotton-metal core yarn was used to prepare flexible shielding textiles for protection from harmful electromagnetic waves. Such textiles protect not only human being from radiation but also sensitive electronic devices from malfunctioning. The shielding efficiency of the fabrics, so developed in the present study were measured with a Vector Network Analyzer and expressed as ElectroMagnetic Shielding Efficiency (EMSE). It was found that the EMSE gets affected significantly by the fabric design.


Concurrent Session 19 FIBRE BIOLOGY


ELEVATED HEAT UNITS INFLUENCE TRANSITION STAGE TIMING DURING COTTON FIBER DEVELOPMENT RESULTING IN INCREASED FIBER STRENGTH

D. Fang1, D. Hinchliffe1, W. Meredith2, C. Delhom1 and D. Thibodeaux3 1USDA-ARS-SRRC, Cotton Fiber Bioscience Research Unit, 2USDA-ARS-MSA, Crop Genetics and Production Research,

3USDA-ARS-SAA, Cotton Quality Research Station, Ravenel, USA

Growing heat units required for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth and development were recorded for four growing seasons and compared with fiber quality measurements and gene expression data indicative of different stages of fiber development. Comparative fiber bundle strength differences between the upland cotton near-isogenic lines MD 52ne and MD 90ne were observed using immature and mature fibers collected at different time points of development stages. Previously characterized fiber bundle-strength differences between the near-isogenic lines, known as a result of early entrance into the transition stage of fiber development were present as early as 20 days post-anthesis and persisted to boll opening and fiber maturity. The onset of transition stage was correlated with the accumulated heat units from the day of anthesis in both cotton NILs in all seasons. Fiber quality measurements over multiple growing seasons indicated that an earlier entrance into the transition stage of fiber development resulted in increased fiber bundle strength. This data suggests that the identification of genes associated with early entrance into the transition stage can be used to temporally manipulate fiber development and improve fiber quality.


ANALYSIS OF COTTON FIBER INITIATION STAGE SPECIFIC TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS UNDER DROUGHT STRESS

A.U. Solanke, K.V. Padmalatha, G. Dhandapani, M. Kanakachari, I.S. Katageri and P.A. Kumar National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology,

New Delhi and University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India

Cotton is the most important commercial fibre crop. Drought stress is the major limiting factor affecting quality of cotton fibre. A cotton fibre is an elongated cell of the seed epidermis and its development occurs in different stages viz., initiation, elongation, secondary wall biosynthesis and maturation. Initiation of fibre starts at 0 dpa. The current study was carried out to identify Transcription Factors (TF), which are important for normal fibre initiation and are affected by drought stress. G. hirsutum cv. Bikaneri Nerma was used for the study and drought stress was given by reducing the soil moisture content up to 19.5%. RNA was isolated from leaf and 0 dpa boll samples and used for microarray analysis using Affymetrix cotton Gene Chip Genome arrays. Data was compared as control leaf versus control 0 dpa bolls, and control leaf versus drought stressed 0 dpa boll. Differentially expressed genes were identified from the analysis and further putative TFs were identified comparing cotton Affymetrix consensus sequences with 2,451 protein sequences present in Arabidopsis transcription factor database (http: //plntfdb.bio.uni-potsdam.de, version 3.0) using BLASTX with E-value cut-off (−e 10). Total 206 putative TFs were found to be differentially expressed in control 0 dpa boll, whereas under stressed 0 dpa boll this number increased up to 285 as compared to control leaf tissue. Out of 285 TFs, 115 showed drought specific expression and 36 TFs important for 0 dpa boll stage under normal growth condition did not express under drought. The expression pattern of these TFs is being confirmed by qPCR.



INTROGRESSION OF HIGH FIBRE STRENGTH TRAIT TO UPLAND COTTON USING MARKER-ASSISTED SELECTION

N. Kannan. P. Selvakumar, R. Krishnamoorthy, D. Raja, V. Subramaninan and M. Ramasami Rasi Seeds (P) Ltd, Attur, India

Cotton is the most preferred natural fibre in the world and plays a major role in economy of agriculture and industry. Among the four cultivated species, Gossypium hirsutum is well known for high yield and dominates the worlds cotton fibre production followed by the Gossypium barbadense. The requirements in textile spinning machinery especially adoption of rotor spinning demands fibres with high strength to meet out spinning productivity. Most of the hirsutum genotypes under cultivation are not meeting the above requirement of textile industry. An attempt was made to improve fibre strength of G. hirsutum by utilizing G. barbadense as donor through back cross (BC) and modified back cross (MBC) pedigree breeding methods following marker-assisted selection using Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers. This will be useful to overcome the negative correlation between high yield and fibre strength. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), heritability and genetic advance was studied in 475 numbers of F2 populations. The result showed that fibre strength varied from 18.0 to 36.0 g /tex and 32% of plants in the population fell under 27.0 to 36.0 g /tex group. The PCV was higher than GCV which shows fibre strength was highly influenced by environment. The heritability and genetic advance for fibre strength was high. Hence, the selection is effective for this trait and the heritability is due to additive gene effect. The identified SSR markers for fibre strength has been utilised to select the high fibre strength plants from BC1F1 to BC1F8 generations. In BC1F1 generation, fibre strength varied from 24.4 to 32.7 g /tex and the plants with high fibre strength were crossed with the same recurrent parent and also with three different G. hirsutum parents. Continuous selection was done using fibre strength markers and selfing was done up to BC1F8 and MBC1F6 generation to develop the high fibre strength hirsutum lines. By using fibre strength markers, four single plant progenies were selected with uniform high fibre strength that ranged form 30.0 to 35.7 g /tex with high yield in BC1F8 generation. High recovery of hirsutum background with high strength and different staple length progenies were obtained in modified backcross population. Thus the high strength hirsutum lines developed will serve as a donor for introgressing the fibre strength to improve the elite parental lines through marker assisted background selection.



QTLs MAPPING FOR FIBER QUALITY TRAITS ACROSS MULTIPLE GENERATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS IN UPLAND COTTON

S. Fuding, Z. Jianhong, W. Shufang, G. Wankui, S. Yuzhen, L. Aiying, L. Junwen, G. Juwu, S. Haihong and Y. Youlu

Cotton Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang Henan, China

Identification of stable QTLs of fibre quality traits in multiple generations and environments could facilitate marker assisted selection (MAS). In the present study, F2, F2:3 and recombinant inbred lines (RILs, F6:8) populations derived from an Upland cotton cross between 0-153, an Upland cotton germplasm that contains introgressive G. arboreum L. chromosome fragment with excellent fibre quality, and sGK9708, a commercial transgenic Upland cotton cultivar, were constructed for QTL tagging of fibre quality. A total of 5742 SSR primer pairs was used to screen for polymorphism between the two parents. Linkage maps of F2 and RILs were thus constructed, containing 155 and 190 loci and with a total map distance of 959.4 cM and 700.9cM respectively. The data of fibre quality of F2 and F2:3 family lines obtained in 2003 and 2004 in Anyang, Henan province and those of RILs in 2007 in Anyang, Henan Province and 2008 in Anyang, Henan Province, Quzhou, Hebei Province and Linqing, Shandong Province were used to screen the QTLs in multi generation and environments through Composite Interval Mapping. A total of 51 QTLs for fibre quality were identified and 10 for fibre strength, 10 for fibre length, 11 for micronaire, 8 for fibre uniformity and 12 for fibre elongation ratio. 8 out of 51 fibre quality QTLs were indentified in F2, F2:3 and RILs simultaneously. 2 QTLs for fibre strength located on C7 and C25 were detected in all the three generations and four environments simultaneously and each QTL explained 16.67%~ 27.86%, 9.43%~21.36% of phenotypic variation respectively. These stable QTLs of fibre quality traits in multiple generations and environments could be used for marker assisted selection (MAS).


TEMPORAL CHANGES IN IMPORTANT ENZYMES AND SOLUTES TRIGGER EPIDERMAL CELL DIFFERENTIATION INTO FIBRE INITIALS IN COTTON

N. Gopalakrishnan, A.H. Prakash and Y.L. Balachanan CICR, Nagpur, CICR Regional Station, Coimbatore and IARI

As one of the longest single-cell seed trichomes, cotton fibres act as an excellent model for unraveling fundamental biological processes such as cell differentiation, cell expansion and cell wall biosynthesis. In order to have better insight into cotton fibre production through effective fibre development processes, temporal changes in the oxidative enzymes and solute content were studied in near isogenic lines of linted cotton (G. hirsutum) cv. MCU 5 and its lintless mutant MCU5 LL. The ovules were quantified for peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) from ten days pre-anthesis to six days post anthesis (DPA). The POD activity in MCU 5 was maintained around 0.06 units per g fresh weight ovules pre anthesis and enhanced to 0.08 at anthesis and further to 0.1 units at 2 DPA and later declined, while the POD activity was reduced to 0.01units 3 days prior to anthesis and later increased to 0.04 units at anthesis and further to 0.05 till 6 DPA in MCU 5LL. The CAT and APX activities were very low in MCU 5 LL ovules all through, while the MCU 5 ovules had higher activities during pre-anthesis (around 1.6 units) and 0.8 units post anthesis. The SOD activity shot up to 4.0 units at anthesis and later maintained at 3.0 units during the fibre initiation process, while MCU 5 LL ovules showed a marginal increment in SOD activity. Biochemical analysis of the lintless mutant ovules indicated a marked reduction in the synthesis of reducing sugars, total free amino acids and total soluble protein content, while there was no effect on the proline and phenol content of ovules from 0 to 5 DPA. The RAPD analysis showed that two primers were found non-polymorphic with two extra bands at 2040±10 bp and 630 ±10 bp in MCU 5. The failure to trigger the production of anti-oxidants and synthesis of solutes at anthesis can be regarded as crucial factors for non-conversion of epidermal cells to fibre initials in lintless mutant, thereby providing enough clues as biochemical determinants for better fibre development process in cotton.


Concurrent Session 20 HETEROSIS FOR YIELD AND OTHER TRAITS


PERFORMANCE OF HYBRIDS PRODUCED BY DIFFERENT SYSTEMS FOR YIELD AND QUALITY IN Gossypium hirsutum L.

S. Siwach and R. Sangwan CCS HAU, Hissar, India

Gossypium hirsutum is the most commonly grown species among the four cultivated species. Noticeable heterosis has been reported in cotton. Hybrid seed in most of the cases is produced by conventional method. The cost of hybrid seed produced by the conventional method is high because of high labour requirement in the process of emasculation and secondly setting% of crossed bolls is also low. Hybrid seed production cost in cotton could be reduced significantly by using the male sterility approach. Performance of cotton hybrids produced by different breeding methods was compared for seed cotton yield, ginning outturn (%), 2.5% span length (mm), fibre strength (g /tex) and micronaire value (10-6 g /in) for three years. Overall mean performance of 191 cytoplasmic genetic male sterility based hybrids, 123 genetic male sterility based hybrids and 155 conventional hybrids indicated that conventional hybrids produced the maximum seed cotton yield (2225 kg /ha) followed by genetic male sterility based hybrids (2157 kg /ha). The cytoplasmic genetic male sterility hybrids performed poorly with mean values of 1406 kg /ha. The ginning out turn, 2.5% span length, fibre strength and micronaire values of all the hybrids produced by different methods were almost similar.


STUDY OF INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS (Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense) FOR HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY

K.P.M. Dhamayanthi CICR Regional Station, Coimbatore, India

Forty nine interspecific F1 combinations were made using two tetraploid cotton species Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense during the year 2007-08 and 2008-09. Among the females BRS-53-53 was found to be good general combiner for boll per plant and seed cotton yield. Amongst the male parents, ICB 260 and Pima S4 were found to be the best general combiner on the basis of seed cotton yield and its per se performance. Where as B-4 was the best for the majority of the yield components. Five crosses were identified as the best crosses on the basis of per se performance, combining ability and heterosis. High heterotic crosses having more than 40% heterosis for seed cotton yield and its component traits could be exploited for increasing yield in interspecific cotton hybrids.


BREEDING FOR IDEOTYPE INTERSPECIFIC AND INTRASPECIFIC COTTON HYBRIDS

P. Kulkarni, M. Deshpande, N. Lad and C. Chaporkar Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co. Ltd, Jalna, India

In India, cotton is cultivated in three different agro-climatic zones and Bt cotton is being adapted on more than 95 % cotton cultivable area. The requirements of Bt cotton hybrid features differ according to regional weather factors during crop season and cultivation practices. Currently, most Bt hybrids, both intra-hirsutum and interspecific have robust plant type. The special requirement is more for such hybrids needing larger plant spacing which reduces plant population per acre and thus maximum genetic potential for yield is not fully exploited. Many farmers are following new trends of higher plant population densities per acre using Bt cotton hybrids with robust plant type. However, specifically designed hybrids with compact plant types are required with short inter branches and inter boll distance with synchronous maturity for high density planting. India is heading towards new transgenic technologies such as herbicide, ought and insect /pest tolerance. The future ideotype cotton hybrids with compact plant type in combination with new transgenic traits will further help to increase cotton productivity and production of India.



ESTIMATION OF GENETIC PARAMETERS FOR YIELD AND FIBRE QUALITY TRAITS IN INTERSPECIFIC CROSSES OF COTTON (Gossypium spp)

M. Gunasekaran, T. Krishnasamy and N. Nadarajan TNAU, Coimbatore, India

To study the nature and magnitude of gene effects for seed cotton yield and fibre quality traits in cotton (Gossypium spp), the generation mean analysis was carried out using the following four crosses of different cotton cultivars: SVPR 2 × Suvin, SVPR 2 × Barbados, TCH 1218 × Suvin and TCH 1218 × Barbados. The P1, P2, F1, F2, B1 and B2 of these generations were studied for six yield and fibre quality traits. The analysis showed the presence of additive, dominance and epistatic gene interactions for all the characters studied. Duplicate type epistasis played a greater role than complementary epistasis. To harness the additive gene action, simple selection procedures or pedigree method of breeding is sufficient. Heterosis breeding procedures are effective in harnessing dominance gene action to the full extent. When additive and dominant gene actions are predominant, the biparental mating design or reciprocal recurrent selection can be used to allow further recombination of alleles to produce desirable segregants.


COMBINING ABILITY FOR SEED OIL CONTENT AND COMPONENT FATTY ACIDS IN Gossypium arboreum L.

D. Pathak, G. Singh, M.K. Sangha, A.K. Atwal, M.S. Gill and P. Singh Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India

Besides lint, cotton is also an important source of edible oil. In the present investigation, four females and 10 male parents of G. arboreum were crossed in a line x tester mating system to generate 40 hybrids. Parents and hybrids were evaluated for seed oil content (using NMR method) and fatty acids namely palmitic, stearic, oleic and linolenic (by Gas Liquid Chromatography). Mean seed oil content ranged from 13.5 to 17.0% in the parents and 13.1 to 18.4% in the hybrids. Among the parents, palmitic acid ranged from 22.9 to 31.9%, stearic acid from 1.04 to 1.95%, oleic acid from 22.2 to 28.6% and linoleic acid from 37.8-48.1%. Among the hybrids, these fatty acids varied from 25.5 to 28.9%, 1.2 to 2.3%, 21.9 to 31.6% and 40.5 to 49.3% respectively. For oil content, line LD 902 was observed to be good general combiner and LD 327, LD 875, and LD 805 poor combiners. Among the testers, LD 210, CINA 316, SC 97, and RAC 024 were a good general combiners whereas, LD937 and GAC1 as the poor general combiners for oil content. Good specific combiners for seed oil content included LD 902 x LD694, LD 902 x SC 97, LD902 x LD 694, LD 902 x HD 123, LD327 x LD 210, LD 327 x CINA 316, LD 327 x RAC 024, LD 875 x LD 937, LD 875 x Arabha 35, LD 875 x SC 97, LD 875 x GAC 1, LD 805 x LD 694, LD 805 x LD 210, LD 805 x CINA 316, and LD 805 x GAC 1. All the female and male parents were observed to be average combiners for all the fatty acids except line LD 805 (poor combiner for enhanced stearic acid), testers LD937 (good combiner for enhanced stearic acid) and HD 123 (good combiner for enhanced oleic acid). Among the cross combinations good specific combiners were LD 327 x LD 937, LD 875 x LD 694 (enhanced stearic acid), LD 902 x HD 123, LD 327 x SC 97, LD 327 x GAC 1, LD 805 x LD 937 (enhanced oleic acid), LD 875x HD 123 (higher linoleic acid). Poor specific combiners included LD 327 x LD 694 and LD 875 x GAC 1 (stearic acid), LD 902 x GAC 1 (oleic acid), LD 902 x HD 123, LD 327 x GAC 1, LD 327 x RAC 024, LD 805 x LD 937 (linoleic acid).


Concurrent Session 21 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT


DYNAMICS OF BIOTYPES B AND Q OF Bemisia tabaci IN COTTON FIELDS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE

A.R. Horowitz, M. Rippa, S. Kontsedalov, M. Ghanim and P. Weintraub Agricultural Research Organization, Israel

An extensive survey for the identification of Bemisia tabaci biotypes and monitoring insecticide resistance was conducted from 2003-10 in cotton fields in several areas of Israel. Two biotypes of B. tabaci, B and Q, were found; and some differences in the biotype ratios were recorded from the different areas. From 2003 to 2007: in northern Israel a higher proportion of B biotype was consistently found early in the season rather than late in the season. However, by the end of the season a definite rise of Q biotype was recorded, ranging to 60-100%, along with high resistance to both the insect growth regulator (IGR) pyriproxyfen and to the neonicotinoid insecticides. In fields located in the central part of Israel, the Q biotype was predominant throughout the season with significant resistance to pyriproxyfen; on the other hand, in cotton fields located in the southern part of Israel, the B biotype was the principal during the whole season with no significant resistance to pyriproxyfen. From 2008 to date, a significant shift in the biotype ratios has occurred: the B biotype is now predominant in all cotton fields ranging up to 90% or more. At the same time, resistance to IGRs and neonicotinoids has been reduced considerably. The reasons for the changes in the proportion of B. tabaci biotypes are discussed.


GAMBIT OF IPM FOR INSECT RESISTANT TRANSGENIC COTTON

N.V.V.S. Durga Prasad, G.M.V. Prasad Rao and V. Chenga Reddy Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, ANGRAU, Guntur, India

Integrated pest management of cotton in India has long been proposed as a more sustainable approach in many situations. However, the adoption of a truly integrated pest management approach has been extremely patchy. The emerging era of insect-resistant transgenic cottons offers real prospects to provide a foundation for more sustainable, economically acceptable IPM with the integration of a range of non-chemical tactics and insecticide resistance management strategies with less reliance on pesticides. The widely used transgenic Bt cotton events in India Bollgard and Bollgard II along with conventional cotton were evaluated under different conditions viz., IPM, Non IPM (sole reliance on insecticides) and without plant protection in rain-fed ecosystem for two consecutive seasons during 2009-10 and 2010-11 at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India to understand the insect pest status on Bt cotton, effect on natural enemies population and economics of cultivation. In IPM module along with cultural and stem application practice 3, 2 and 4 insecticide sprays were improvised in BG, BGII and non Bt Mallika hybrid respectively. In Non IPM practice the entire plant protection relies only on insecticide sprays accounting to 9,8 and 10.5 in BG, BGII and non Bt Mallika hybrid respectively. The sucking pest population - thrips and whitefly incidence are similar in all the three modules, where as aphids and jassids are high in unprotected module followed by IPM and least in Non IPM. The fruiting damage of Helicoverpa was less than 1% in BG and BGII hybrids in all the modules, where as in Non Bt hybrid incidence is low in Non IPM compared to other modules. High activity of natural enemies was noticed in IPM and unprotected block vis a vis Non IPM. The yield levels were higher in Non IPM in all the Bt and non Bt hybrids compared to IPM. However the cost benefit ratio in BG I (1:1.69) and BGII (1:1.85) was favourable in IPM module compared to 1:1.54 and 1:1.64 in BG I and BGII of Non IPM. The advantage of IPM to ecosystem and economics reflects a sound, viable and sustainable cotton production system with insect-resistant transgenic cottons.



LETHAL CONCENTRATIONS OF NEEM-BASED PRODUCT FOR CONTROLLING THE COTTON LEAFWORM

A. Rogrio B. Do Nascimento, A.C. Da Silva Lira, Josa Jandua Soares and Raul Porfirio De Almeida, Embrapa Cotton, UFLA, Brazil

In Integrated Pest Management IPM, the use of alternative products can lead to many benefits that involve primarily the agro ecosystem balance and many others aspects correlated to it. However, to identify an appropriate bio pesticide for controlling insect pests, efficient doses have to be firstly determined. This work aimed to estimate the LC50 and LC90 of neem-based product (Neemseto) on the 5th instar of Alabama argillacea Huebner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (Cotton leafworm) larvae. It was carried out at the Entomology Laboratory of Embrapa Cotton, in Campina Grande, ParaÃ-ba State, Brazil, under environmental conditions (24,7 Â± 0,17oC e 84,2 Â± 1,17%). To conduct the bioassay, cotton leaves (Gossypium barbadense L.) were offered to cotton leafworm as food source during 24 h, following neem treatment at concentrations of 0.5; 1.0; 1.5 and 2.0% (volume /volume), endosulfan (350 g a.i /ha) (Positive control) and distilled water (Negative control). After this period of feeding, leaves offered did not receive any application of the neem product. For mortality evaluation, a completely randomized analysis, with six treatments and ten replications was used. Data were submitted to Analysis of Variance (Pâ‰¤0.05) and means compared by Tukey test (0.01). To estimate the lethal concentrations, five treatments with 100 larvae were used, being data submitted to Probit's test, using the Polo-Pc software. Results showed an increase in the curve inclination in Probit's model, characterizing a gradual behavior of larvae mortality along the time. Lethal concentrations of 0.49 (LC50) and 1.99 (LC90) were obtained 240 h after the product application. The lower LC50 and LC90 estimate for controlling A. argillacea were obtained at 480 h evaluation, with values of 0.30 and 0.74, respectively.


EFFECT OF STRIP INTERCROPPING FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE AMERICAN BOLLWORM, Helicoverpa armigera HUBNER (LEPIDOPTERA: Noctuidae) ON

COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L.) IN MORRUMBALA DISTRICT, MOZAMBIQUE

A. Chamuene, C.C. Ecole and M. Freire Namialo Centre for Cotton Research and Seed Multiplication, Mozambique

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is an important cash crop and the production is limited by various insect pests, which cause about 50-70% of yield loss in Mozambique. Diversification of plants within the crop area may favor natural enemies by providing protection from environmental factors and alternative food sources such as nectar, pollen and honeydew. Strip intercropping can affect the population dynamics of insects, increasing or decreasing the population density of pests and natural enemies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of strip intercropping (Cotton with Sorghum, Pigeon pea and Crotalaria) and pest management strategies in relation to Helicoverpa spp. population levels on cotton. An experimental design was installed, using the experimental randomized complete block design RCBD in a split plot with four replications for each of treatments. Each treatment was subdivided into two subplots, first subplot was sprayed with insecticide according to the economic threshold (scouting) and the second subplot was left unsprayed. After cotton emergence all treatments were weekly monitored for Helicoverpa spp., other phytophagous insects as well as insect predators. The results found American bollworm densities were higher in the monocrop than in all other cropping systeIn unsprayed plots pest densities were higher than in the plots treated according to the economic threshold. Also natural enemies were more abundant in the cotton strip intercropped. However, no differences in yield were found between cotton under strip intercropping with sorghum, pigeon pea or crotalaria and monocrop cotton (control).



COTTON PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES USING THRESHOLD BASED INTERVENTIONS DEVELOPED BY CIRAD AND PARTNERS IN

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES

P. Silvie1, P. Bassarou, G. Bonni2, T. Brevault3, C. Gautier4, T. Houndete5, G. Ochou Ochou6, P. Prudent1, A. Renou2 and M. Togola2

1IRD /CIRAD UPR SCA, 2INRAB /CRA-CF, 3ITRA /CRA-SH, 4CNRA, 5IER, 6INRAB /CRA-CF, France

In the late 1980s, after a long period during which insecticides were sprayed at preset dates to control cotton pests and their damage, some French-speaking countries in sub-Saharan areas decided to disseminate a more sustainable crop protection approach among smallholders: targeted staggered control (LEC, for Lutte). According to this approach, decisions on some insecticide sprays were made on the basis of infestation levels or the extent of crop damage induced by major pests: Aphis gossypii aphids, Haritalodes (= Syllepte) derogata leaf-eating caterpillars, and more generally Helicoverpa armigera, Diparopsis watersi, Earias insulana and E. biplaga caterpillars that feed on, and live on the outside of fruiting organs (i.e. exocarpic bollworms). Polyphagotarsonemus latus mites are sometimes included on this list. Due to changes in cotton production conditions over the last 10 years, especially the development of pyrethroid resistance in pest caterpillars, and depending on the country, this crop protection programme has been abandoned, preserved or replaced by other programmes. The strict use of thresholds in Mali was thus taken to be a logical follow-up to LEC, which is still widely implemented. A targeted threshold-based programme was developed in Togo. Cameroon abandoned LEC and opted for a â€˜sequential plan for individual decision (SPID) programme (LOIC, for Lutte) observation individuelle des chenilles), based on control after sequential sampling of only exocarpic boll-eating caterpillars. In Benin, LEC has been presented in two forms, i.e.complete™ and partial™, tailored to two regions delineated according to the extent of damage of some boll-eating caterpillars that live inside cotton bolls, i.e. Pectinophora gossypiella, Thaumatotibia (= Cryptophlebia) leucotreta. In voire, where these caterpillars are also present, the use of treatment thresholds is limited to the beginning of the cotton crop cycle, when these pests are actually absent. The present article fully describes these new crop protection programmes, sampling methods and associated intervention thresholds, in addition to advantages and constraints associated with their adoption.


Concurrent Session 22 DISEASE MANAGEMENT


EPIDEMIOLOGY OF VERTICILIUM WILT OF COTTON IN IRAN

M. Arabsalmani Agricultural Research and Natural Recources Center of Tehran Province, Varamin, Iran

Verticillium wilt incited by Verticillium dahliae Kleb is one of the most important diseases of cotton. The important manageable factors such as epidemiology of Verticillium wilt of Cotton, including the effect of disease on the quantitative and qualitative characters on yield, correlation between effective characters of cotton plant on yield with tolerance to Verticillium wilt, host range and host specifity, role of weeds on perpetuation of V. dahliae . The effect of sequencing of crops on incidence of disease, variability among of isolates based on morphology and pathogenicity, the effect of date planting and density of plants and cultivar in field on incidence of the disease were studied. Pre-planting inoculum density, disease index and disease percentage, yield loss and characters of soil in 143 fields were measured and correlations were calculated. Forecasting of disease and efficiency of propagule was determined. The results showed that Verticillium wilt causes the reduction rate of seed germination, boll weight, yield, ginning turn out, weight of 1000 seeds, plant height, number of leaf, number of boll, number of node, oil percentage in wet seed, elongation, fiber fineness, length of fiber, fiber strength, fiber uniformity and decrease percentage of oil in ied seed . Correlation between percent disease with pre planting inoculum density was determined with curve Y =4.01x 5.74, (r2 = 0.68) and when logarithm of non infected plant was effected the curve changed in toY =0.09x 0.25,(r2 =0.59). There was no host specifity among isolates of V. dahliae and isolates were gathered from cotton, sesame, okra, pistachio, eggplant, tomato, Capsella bursa- pastoris, Atriplex sp., Solanum nigrum, Hibiscus sp ., Medicago lupulina, Physalis alkekengi, Amaranthus sp., Datura.


Thielaviopsis basicola-COTTON INTERACTIONS LEADING TO BLACK ROOT ROT

L. Pereg, D. Backhouse, J. Coumans, M. Katz, J. Moulynox and S. Al-Jaaidi Research Centre for Molecular Biology, University of New England, Australia

Black root rot is a fungal disease affecting cotton seedlings upon germination. The fungal pathogen, Thielaviopsis basicola, is found in almost every cotton farm in Australia and, while it does not kill the plant, it causes substantial loss of yield. Our aims are to develop and use techniques to study the association between this fungal pathogen and its host leading to black root rot, with the intention of generating knowledge that could be used for interrupting the disease cycle. Techniques were developed to 1) study the host range of different isolates of T. basicola originated from different origins, 2) generate random mutants of T. basicola, 3) select for pathogenicity mutants and analyse their interactions with their host, 4) extract proteins from the fungus and cotton roots and study protein differential expression under various conditions, and 5) analyse biological factors that may interfere with the interactions of T. basicola with its host. We have been successful in transforming T. basicola using PEG-mediated transformation, however, not using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT). Five transformants with different phenotypes were found to have reduced pathogenicity towards the cotton host and the genes affected in three of the mutants are under investigation. Protein mapping revealed proteins differentially expressed in T. basicola in reaction to host Vs. Non-host plants. Two-dimensional protein maps also showed a progressive change in cotton root proteins from the time of the seedling exposure to a pathogenic T. basicola strain. T. basicola isolates have a relatively wide range of host plants, nevertheless, they demonstrate a degree of host specificity and plants can be categorized as: non-host, (disease) resistant-host and susceptible-host. The interactions between the plant and the fungus can be interrupted using biological agents, such as disease suppressive bacteria, however the success of field application of such agents varies. This is expected due to the biological nature of such treatments affecting its survival under different biotic and abiotic conditions.



DAMAGE CAUSED IN COTTON BY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RAMULOSIS IN BRAZIL

A. Araujo1, A. Ferreira2 and C. Morello2 1Embrapa Algodo, 2Embrapa Algodo, Ncleo de Pesquisa De Algo, Brazil

The ramulosis caused by Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides is one of the most important diseases of cotton in Brazil. The main characteristics of the disease are the breaking of apical dominance which cause successive shoots, and the canopy becomes like a broom. The damage can range from 20 to 30% reaching 85% in severe cases. The disease can also affect the fiber characteristics such as length, fineness, uniformity and micronaire and reduce the weight of bolls and the percentage of fibers. This study aimed to assess the damage to cotton caused by different levels of disease severity. The experiment was carried out in state of GoiÃ¡s, in the season of 2006. The cultivar used was BRS IpÃª whose seeds were treated with the insecticide imidacloprid (270g ai /100kg) and fungicides tolylfluanida (75 g ai /100kg) + pencycuron (75 g ai /100kg) to avoid damping-off. The treatments were five severity indexes based on the following descriptive key: 1- plant without symptoms; 2-plants with necrotic spots in the young leaves; 3- necrotic spots in the leaves, shortening of internodes and initial broom; 4- necrotic spots in the leaves, shortening of internodes, broom little developed and height reduction; 5- necrotic spots in the leaves, shortening of internodes, broom very developed and height reduction. The plants with 40 days old age were inoculated with a suspension of 2x105 conidia /ml of the pathogen and to assure the occurrence of different levels of severity, the treatments with low scores of the key were sprayed with fungicides according to disease development. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with 5 treatments and 4 repetitions. The assessment was made 140 days after emergence with the measure of the following variables: height of the plants, number of bolls, weight of the bolls and lint production. The more important damage caused by disease were the reduction in the weight of the bolls and in the lint production. To these variables the reduction was more than 70% when the severity of the disease was high. The reduction in the plant height was higher when the disease severity achieved the 3 and 4 points of the key. Based on the results we conclude that control of the disease is very important in the initial stages until the point 2 of the descriptive key to avoid significant damage to the lint production.


EFFICACY OF TRIAZOLES IN MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR FUNGAL FOLIAR DISEASES OF COTTON

S. Ashtaputre, S. Chattannavar, R. Patil, K. Pawar and G. Hosagodar

Agricultural Research Station, Dharwad, India

Grey mildew and Alternaria blight are the major fungal foliar diseases in northern region of Karnataka and two year study was conducted to know the efficacy of triazoles against these major fugal foliar diseases of cotton, grey mildew caused by Ramularia areola Atk. and Alternaria blight caused by Alternaria macrospore Zimm, during kharif 2009 and 2010 under rainfed situation at Agricultural Research Station, Dharwad. The experiment was laid out in replicated trial of randomised block with ten treatments. The study revealed that all the triazoles under study were found to be effective in control of major foliar diseases, which in turn reflected in more yield. Among these triazoles, Percent disease index(PDI) of Penconazole for Alternaria blight(AB) (6.10 PDI) and grey mildew(GM) (10.30 PDI) followed by Hexaconazole (AB 8.20, GM 11.0 PDI), Difenconazole (AB 7.10, GM 11.10 PDI) and Tridemefan (AB 11.3, GM 13.5 PDI), reduced the disease severity of both the diseases effectively and also enhanced the yield. But three sprays of Hexaconazole (0.1%) were more useful not only in reducing the cost of protection but also gave higher benefits (B: C ratio 9.63) as compared to other treatments and can be used for the management of major fungal foliar diseases of cotton. Hexaconazole can be recommended as one of the components in integrated disease management of cotton as it showed the best result in the control of both diseases with higher cost benefit ratio and increased yield(14.3 q /ha).



CONTROL OF PLANTING-SEED DETERIORATION THROUGH POST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT

K. Rathinavel1, R.K. Deshmukh2 and P.R. Vijayakumari2 1CICR, Regional Station Coimbatore, 2CICR, Nagpur

Cotton productivity depends to a large extent on the sowing quality seeds that are planted. The seed management technique is an factor in upgrading the planting value of seeds. The seeds should have maximum viability and vigour so that it will emerge rapidly and uniformly in the field even if the conditions are not favourable. An array of seed treatments has been suggested. Delinted cotton seeds of cv. LRA 5166, with 90% initial germination and 8% moisture content, having treated with polymer @ 5 ml /kg were found optimum to enhance germination and field emergence. Higher doses of polymer reduced germination, hypocotyls length, dry matter of seedling and vigour. The coating of polymer @ 5 ml /kg or polymer with carbendazim @ 2 g /kg or polymer + carbendazim + imidacloprid increased the germination, seedling vigour and found effective in controlling the sucking pests up to 45 days. Three treatments alone or in combinations prolonged the seed viability for a period of sixteen months. Delinted cotton seeds of cv. Anjali coated with Polymer @ 3g /kg with thiram @ 2g /kg + gypsum @ 20g /kg + micronutrient @ 10g /kg + imidacloprid @ 7g /kg + DAP@ 20g /kg or thiram @ 2g /kg + DAP@ 20g /kg + imidacloprid @ 7g /kg + micronutrient@ 10g /kg + gypsum@ 20g /kg performed better for seed viability and seedling vigour. Cotton seeds of varieties Anjali, Surabhi, LRA 5166 and AKH4, stored at different relative humidity for eight months indicated an increase in storage period when with control. Progressive decline in viability, dry matter of seedling, vigour, seed oil content, coupled with rapid increase of seed moisture content, free fatty acid accumulation, electrical conductivity of seed leachate, free sugars and storage fungi were recorded with respect to increase in RH. Fuzzy cotton seeds of seven genotypes stored under ambient conditions for years, dressed with calcium oxychloride and calcium carbonate (3:1) @ 5 g /kg showed increased seed vigour and viability to the tune of 6.0% and 7.0% irrespective of age of seeds and reduced the pathogenicity of stored seeds. The rate of improvement in viability decreased with increasing age of seeds at the time of seed treatment.


Concurrent Session 23 COMBATING SALT STRESS


CLONING AND EXPRESSION OF TWO SALT TOLERANCE RELATED GENES ON UPLAND COTTON

W. Ye, L. Song, J. Wang, B. Fan, D. Wang and S. Wang

Cotton Research Institute, CAAS, China

As one of main abiotic stresses in nature, salt stress with high concentration of saline ions in soil does remarkable harm to plants, and seriously affects the growth and development of plants. Cotton, a relative salt-tolerant crop, can largely adapt to environmental stress through its own regulatory mechanisAt present, we lack the salt tolerant varieties which are effectively used in production. Therefore, it is important to search salt-tolerant genes of cotton, to innovate cotton salt tolerant germplasm in order to lay the foundation for salt tolerant cotton breeding. In this study, the salt-tolerant cotton material, Zhong 9835 and the salt sensitive material, Zhong 9612, were treated by the method following 0.4% NaCl stress identification. Two salt tolerance related genes, H+-pyrophosphatase gene (GhVP) and S-adenosylmethionine synthetase gene (GhSAMS), were cloned from the salt tolerance material in Gossypium hirsutum. The bioinformatics analysis indicated, that GhVP protein had the similarity of 90% with Arabidopsis and of 93% with tobacco and that GhSAMS protein had the similarity of 91%, 93%, 93% with Arabidopsis, S. salsa, O. sativa, respectively. Under salt stress, GhVP provided proton iving force for Na+ /H+ antiproton, and promoted the distribution of Na+ in cell, in order to eliminate Na+ infection. GhSAMS enhanced the cell-to-cell pathway for water transport and reduced ions uptaking, and improved the adaptations of whole cotton under salt stress.


STRATEGY, TECHNOLOGY AND MECHANISM FOR CONTROL OF SOIL SALINITY INJURY TO COTTON

L. Zhenhuai1,2, H. Dong1,2 and L. Weijiang1,2 1Shandong Provincial Key Lab for Cotton Culture and Physiology,

2Cotton Research Center, Shandong Academy of Agriculture

Soil salinity is a major threat to cotton production worldwide. Excessive salt in saline soils leads to a series of physiological and biochemical decompensation in cotton plants mainly from osmotic effects (dehydration), nutritional imbalance and toxicity of salt ions (Na+ and Cl-). The decompensation may finally impair plant growth and lint yield and quality, particularly in moderate to highly saline soils. Basically, the management or control of salinity damage to cotton plants involves two main strategies: One is to improve salinity tolerance through genetic breeding and chemical or biological treatment, the other is to avoid or alleviate salinity stress by improving at least, part of the root-zone environment. Technologies and principles for improving salt tolerance and avoiding or alleviating salt stress in the root zone are highlighted in this review, with a focus on recent advances in molecular breeding for salt tolerance and agronomic management of salinity damage. In addition to saline soil improvement with engineering measures, we suggest that comprehensive utilization of agronomic measures such as suitable cultivars, proper irrigation and fertilization, seed treatment, furrow seeding, plastic mulching and induction of unequal salt distribution in the root-zone would effectively control salt-injury in cotton. Future research should focus on (i) the development of specific cotton cultivars with high salt tolerance through a combination of traditional breeding and molecular technology; (ii) further exploration and understanding of the uptake and efficient use of water and nutrients in saline soils; and (iii) the development of new products and machines for cotton growing in saline soils like new foliar and specific slow-release fertilizers, commercial plant growth regulators and new machinery for see-bed preparation and harvest.



INCREASED NUTRIENT UPTAKE AND SALINITY TOLERANCE IN AHCMO TANSGENIC COTTON

H. Zhang1, J. Dai2 and H. Dong2,3 1CR1, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2CRC, Shandong Academy of Agriculture,

3Shandong Key Lab for Cotton Culture and Physiology, China

A choline monooxygenase gene (AhCMO) cloned from Atriplex hortensis was introduced into cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) via Agrobacterium mediation to enhance resistance to salinity stress. Molecular analysis confirmed that the transgenic plants expressed the AhCMO gene in our previous study. In the present experiment, a transgenic AhCMO cotton line (CMO4) and its wild line (SM3) were grown under salinity stress in pots containing substrate (substrate: vermiculite = 1:1, v /v). Content of main nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) and Na+ osmotic potential, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation in plant tissues, leaf photosynthesis (Pn) and plant biomass were determined after salinity (NaCl) treatment. It is showed that seedlings of the transgenic line accumulated 131% more glycine betaine than that of non-transgenic plants (SM3) under normal and salt-stress (150 mM NaCl) conditions. The osmotic potential, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation were significantly lower in leaves of the transgenic line than in that of SM3 after salt stress. The net photosynthesis rate and Fv /Fm in transgenic cotton leaves were less affected by salinity than in non-transgenic cotton leaves. The transgenic cotton over- expressing AhCMO was more tolerant to salt stress. Total uptake and contents of main nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) in CMO4 were higher than those in SM3. Meanwhile, less Na+ accumulation and lower extreme ratios of Na /N, Na /P, Na /K, Na /Ca, Na /Mg, Na /Fe, Na /Mn, Na /Cu and Na /Zn were observed in CMO4 than in SM3 30 days after salt treatment (DAS). The results suggest that increased salt tolerance of transgenic AhCMO cotton is not only attributed to elevated accumulation of glycine betaine, the resulting protection of the cell membrane and improved photosynthetic capacity, but also associated with more nutrient uptake in CMO4 than its wild line.


GENETIC PARAMETERS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS FOR SALINITY TOLERANCE IN DIVERSE GENOTYPES OF COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L. and Gossypium barbadense L.)

G. Hosseini1 and P. Behdarvand2 1Cotton Research Institute of Iran and 2University of Pune, India

Genetic and physiological parameters of different traits related to salinity tolerance in six cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. and Gossypium barbadense L.) genotypes and their progenies were estimated using diallel crosses during 3 years. Along with nutrition by normal Hogland’s solution in non-saline condition, incremental levels of NaCl to Hogland’s solution in a sand culture was added until electrical conductivity of 24 dS /m was attained inducing salinity stress and caused osmotic shock. Combined analysis based on two salinity levels revealed significant salinity effects for traits. High ratios of σ2A /(σ2A+ σ2D) and high narrow-sense heritability estimates were observed for root length, plant height, Na+, K+, Ca++, K+ /Na+, Ca++ /Na+, root length /shoot height and tlerance idex (TOL), indicating involvement of additive gene effects in their genetic control. High differences of [σ2g /(σ2g+ σ2e)] - [2 σ2gca + σ2sca /(σ2g + σ2e)] were observed for K+ /Na+ and TOL, indicated non-allelic effects in their genetic control. Negative and high index of SI for Na+ indicated that its mean in a saline environment was more than two times from the mean in a non-saline environment. Low estimates of negative SI index for root length, Ca++ indicated the effect of a saline environment for these traits were better than the other traits. The results of factor analysis indicated that selection for morphological traits, specifically; selections based on K+, Ca++ and K+ /Na+ should be more efficient than other traits. Cluster classification of genotypes by means of principle component analysis method on the basis of value of correlation


matrix distinguished genotypes Sindose-80 and Sindose-80 × Siokra from other genotypes in salinity tolerance.


IMPROVEMENT OF PARTIAL ROOT-ZONE SOIL ENVIRONMENT INCREASES SALINITY TOLERANCE OF COTTON

H. Dong1,2, L. Weijiang1,2 and L. Zhenhuai1,2

1Cotton Research Center, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2Shandong Provincial Key Lab for Cotton Culture

Soil salinity is a major threat to cotton production worldwide. Since salinity and the related stress originate from the root-zone soil environment, it is hypothesized that improving at least part of the root-zone environment would alleviate salt injury. The hypothesis was confirmed in 4 experiments conducted in either the greenhouse or the field. In a split-root experiment (Exp 1), potted cotton plants were grown in a split-root system in the greenhouse and each root half was irrigated with either the same or two concentrations of NaCl. When the entire root system was exposed to the same concentration of NaCl, leaf area, plant biomass, leaf chlorophyll (Chl) and photosynthesis (Pn) were significantly reduced relative to the NaCl-free control. However, when only half of the root system was exposed to low-salinity, the inhibition effect of salinity on growth and yield was significantly reduced. In a field experiment (Exp 2), we compared cotton grown on furrow-beds in saline fields with those grown on flat beds as controls and found that furrow-bed seeding induced unequal salt distribution in saline fields; plant growth, yield and earliness were significantly improved. Row covering with polyethylene film enhances plant growth by increasing soil temperature and water conservation. In our field experiment (Exp 3), plastic mulching also resulted in unequal salt distribution in the saline soil, in which part of the root system developed in relatively low-saline soil. Further study showed that the integration of plastic mulching with furrow seeding could more effectively enhance stand establishment, earliness, yield, and yield components of cotton than mulching or furrow seeding alone. Normal planting of full-season cotton in saline fields in temperate areas is faced with poor stand establishment, late maturity and increasing cost of inputs. After trying late planting of short-season cotton in a saline field of the Yellow River Delta (Exp 4), we showed that late planting of short-season cotton significantly improved seed emergence and seedling growth due to increased temperature and reduced Na+ concentration in cotton tissues relative to normal planting. In conclusion, plastic mulching, furrow seeding and early mulching or late-planting with short-season cotton either result in unequal salt distribution, or increased moisture and temperature in the root-zone, thus effectively control salt-injury in cotton. It is confirmed that improved partial root-zone environment increases salinity tolerance of cotton.


Concurrent Session 24 SOCIAL DYNAMICS AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER


DO FEMALE-LED FARMS PERFORM LESS WELL IN COTTON PRODUCTION? INSIGHT FROM HEBEI PROVINCE (CHINA)

M.F. Ah Chuen2 and G. Wang1 1Hebei Agricultural University, 2CIRAD, UR SCA, China

In emerging countries, economic development drives farmers out of agriculture in a process of migration to cities for long periods. Men are usually the most involved, leaving their wives behind them. This phenomenon gives rise to the feminization of agriculture and raises the concern of lower productivity, because a few studies in developing countries have indicated that female-led farms suffered from a lack of access to production factors such as land, labour and capital. China is a country where the migration of farmers to cities and the feminization of agriculture are well documented, but studies on the impact of feminization on agricultural performance remain rare, without clearly confirming a op in productivity. The impacts of feminization have been assessed on a regional or cropping system level, but not, to our knowledge, on a specific crop level. Cotton cropping is acknowledged to be labour- and capital-intensive and it is particularly appropriate to assess the impacts of feminization on its productivity and to check the assumption that female-led farms lack production factors. Our study was conducted to analyse what the cotton cropping systems were, identify farms run by women and compare their yield and gross income to the alternative far. Our study was based on primary data collected from 2006 to 2009, through surveys not involving the official extension services. Farms were considered to be female-led when their husbands were away for more than five months per year. Our results indicated that out of 823 farms surveyed over the four-year period, 27.5% were female-led. This rate varied depending on the age cohorts of the farm heads, it was lower when farm heads were older than 50. Female-led farms cultivated less land (0.66 vs 0.78 ha), with less cotton per farm (0.36 vs 0.49 ha) or per family member over the age of 16 (0.13 vs 0.19 ha). They obtained slightly higher yields though with similar production costs; their gross income was higher per unit area but lower for cotton production as a whole. Female-led farms did not demonstrate lower productivity, probably because they could take better care of smaller cotton plots and they could afford a similar level of production costs thanks to the income brought in by their husbands’ off-farm activities.


DEBUNKING THE MYTHS

J. Reed, E. Barnes and P. O'Leary Cotton Incorporated, USA

Cotton and cotton textile industries are important to the economic well-being of more than 100 countries, developed and undeveloped, alike. In spite of its benefits, cotton, particularly cotton production, has been mischaracterized as having negative impacts on the environment. Among those voicing claims against cotton are businesses seeking a competitive advantage and non-government organizations. The most common of these allegations are that cotton requires excessive amounts of pesticides, fertilizer, and water. It is often claimed that cotton production has a very large environmental footprint. The fact is, in the United States, the environmental impact of producing a pound of cotton has fallen substantially over the last 20 years. There has been a 25% reduction in land requirement, a 34% drop in soil loss, a 49% decline in irrigation water use, a 66% reduction in energy, and a 33% decrease in GHG emissions (Field to Market, 2009). Cotton Incorporated continuously works to improve cotton’s environmental footprint through its funding of agricultural research programs throughout the U.S. and by assisting growers in adopting technologies and practices that conserve natural resources and enhance grower efficiency. These programs are highly valued by growers and have contributed significantly to cotton’s environmental gains over the past 40 years. It is hoped that by providing facts to dispel myths in venues such as these that others will be empowered to communicate cotton’s positive environmental story as well.



IMPACT OF IRM STRATEGIES ON Bt COTTON IN ANDHRA PRADESH

T.V.K. Singh, N.V.V.S.D. Prasad, S. Sharma and S. Dayakar Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad, India

Cotton is extensively cultivated in entire Andhra Pradesh, which is one of the agrarian states in India under diverse farming situations with high inputs. A window based Insecticide resistance management (IRM) strategies on cotton were implemented in three districts of Andhra Pradesh viz. Guntur, Khammam and Kurnool. The strategies blend all crop production practices to incorporate proper use of insecticides to ensure that each of these groups are applied at such time of the cropping phase when resistance is low, natural enemy populations are least disturbed and different groups of chemicals are also alternated. Trainings and field visits prompted the adoption of strategies by farmers for managing cotton pest complex on Bt cotton. IRM strategies were disseminated in a total of 165 villages in three districts from 2008 to 2011 along with 75 villages as non IRM villages for confirming the Impact of IRM strategies. The strategic positioning of insecticides coupled with eco friendly technologies led to reduction in the pest incidence (bollworms and sucking pests) and abundance of natural enemies in IRM villages. Adoption of IRM strategies resulted in the reduction in insecticidal sprays (28.84%) in IRM villages coupled with higher yiedls (26.67 q /ha) compared to non IRM villages (22.46 q /ha). Net profit per ha was more in IRM villages than non IRM villages. Farmers, by adopting IRM strategies, realized higher net returns by saving in plant protection cost due to less number of insecticidal sprays and increased seed cotton yield.


A NATIONALLY FOCUSSED INDUSTRY EXTENSION PROGRAM DELIVERING BEST PRACTICE MANAGEMENT IN AUSTRALIA

S. Maas2,3, D. Weir2,3 and R. Boehm1

1Cotton Research & Development Corporation, 2Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 3Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre, Australia

The Australian cotton industry extension program has evolved from nationally coordinated and regionally focussed extension projects to a national industry program focussed on key national priorities. The Cotton CRC Development and Delivery (D&D) Team has been established with a core group of regionally based extension officers led by the General Manager Best Practice and Research Implementation and supported by several specialists. The Australian Best Management Practices (myBMP) program is the Australian cotton industry’s commitment to the world’s best practice in cotton production. It is a voluntary farm management system that provides self assessment mechanisms, practical tools and auditing processes to ensure that cotton is produced with best practice across a range of focus areas., myBMP demonstrates to the community the Australian cotton industry’s improved farming practices and careful management of our natural resources. My BMP is a web-based system which provides an excellent framework for extension delivery given its link to an extensive range of technical information resources. The key national priorities for the D&D team: Crop Nutrition and Soil Management, Crop Protection-Disease and Biosecurity, Insect Management, Weed Management, Farming Systems, Water Use Efficiency, Training and Education are each coordinated by a regionally based extension officer. The team includes a Product Development and Commercialisation manager. Each priority adesses specific targets of achievement. This paper features the two Queensland based extension projects responsible for the Crop Nutrition and Soil Management and Crop Protection â€“ Disease and Biosecurity targets and describes the structure, planning and implementation processes for the extension delivery of activities in collaboration with the other regional extension officers, specialist officers and research scientists.



TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES FOR PROFITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE COTTON FARMING IN INDIA: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

S. Usha Rani1 and S.M. Wasnik2 1CICR, Regional Station, Coimbatore, 2CICR, Nagpur, India

In India, various Transfer of Technology (TOT) programs in cotton have been implemented underlining the importance of problem solving, creating effective scientists and farmers linkage and transferring the latest cotton production technologies. Front Line Demonstrations, Farmers Field Schools, Contract Farming Approach are some of the TOT programs which created remarkable impact on cotton production. Analysis on the laurels and let downs of those initiatives revealed that they have high farmers acceptability due to its focus on problem solving and the practical application of knowledge. They were effective in increasing the yields, sharing the knowledge but handicapped due to lack of professional execution and non-availability of latest technological dissemination tools for ready transfer. Exclusion of novel extension methods viz., cyber, market led, Farmer-led and environmental extension was observed in many of the prograMarket intelligence surveys for commercializing our technologies and institutional arrangements for freeing indebtedness and risk coverage had never found a significant place in those prograMedia utilization and efforts to organize the cotton growers were the other areas where our cotton extension programs created a meager impact. On the other side, Indian cotton sector is facing serious challenges posed by the changes viz., changing technology Bt cotton, changing demands of the textile industries and non woven sectors. All these changes could not impact much on productivity which is a major setback. Reforms made in the technology delivery system in other cotton growing countries raised the productivity of cotton. Therefore, the criticisms about the present Indian cotton extension system and the emerging challenges compel to review and restructure the existing cotton extension system according to the budding needs and to adopt a new cotton technology transfer system with modern amenities. A contemporary synergetic extension model with novel extension concepts and facility to forecast technology considering the pros and cons of past methods and changing perspectives is suggested in this paper for profitable and sustainable cotton farming in India.


Concurrent Session 25 CROP IMPROVEMENT


TARGET GENOTYPE BASED CHOICE OF BREEDING METHODS IN COTTON

S.S. Patil University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India

Hybridization followed by selection in segregating generations is the main tool of developing new varieties. The success of this approach depends upon choice of parents, gene action involved in the expression of quantitative characters and the target genotype set to be developed After hybridization, the material can be handled by following pedigree, bulk, single seed descent or back cross method of breeding. In segregating generations (F2, F6.), segregants which are 50:50 types (50% alleles from each parents) are the most commonly observed. If the two carefully chosen parents are complementing each other perfectly by sharing 50% of the desirable alleles responsible for yield traits then one can hope to get a very high frequency of segregants recombining the desirable alleles distributed equally between the two parents. In this situation selection for transgressive productive genotypes in segregating generations will be successful. Thus the methods of varietal development which are in vogue can be broadly grouped into two approaches, one resorting to selection in segregating generations (Pedigree /Bulk /SSD) which can be successful only when the two parents have equal proportion of desirable alleles. The other extreme is the back cross method of breeding where repeated back crosses ensure complete elimination of undesirable alleles of the donor parents and this choice of breeding method is ideal when the target genotype would be an extreme one (say 98: 2, 99: 1 type). In limited backcross breeding; if the two parents have unequal distribution of desirable alleles, the segregants carry many undesirable alleles from the less potential parent. In other words, the target genotype (to be selected by the breeder) in this situation is say a 70:30 or an 80:20 type and selection becomes inefficient as frequency of such segregants is low in segregating generations It may be difficult to define the genetic constitution of the parents in terms of distribution of the desirable alleles between them. Here, some methods of determining target genotype are compared in terms of desirable or undesirable expression revealed for a list of yield components, quality traits, efficiency for physiological traits and other priority traits. It is very crucial to understand the parents thoroughly with respect to these traits and based on distribution pattern of desirable expression for these different traits the target genotype can be roughly defined and parent with higher proportion of desirable alleles can be used as recurrent parent. Comparison of backcross and segregating generations is made to develop insight in to target genotype.


INTROGRESSION OF EXOTIC GERMPLASM INTO UPLAND COTTON FOR COTTON GENETICS AND BREEDING

Z. Lin, X. Li, B. Wang, X. Wang, J. Tu, G. Ren and X. Zhang National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China

In order to widen the genetic background of upland cotton, to explore new germplasm resources, and to discover novel alleles, G. barbadense, G. tomentosum, G. mustelinum, G. darwinii Watt were crossed with upland cotton to develop introgression lines (ILs). By back crossing and marker assisted selection with whole genomic SSRs, 336 ILs with G. barbadense as donor, 105 ILs with G. darwinii Watt as donor, 108 ILs with G. tomentosum as donor and 54 ILs with G. mustelinum as donor were developed. Genotype analysis showed that these ILs were composed of lot of variations from exotic germplasm and QTL mapping showed that a lot of novel alleles were associated with cotton yield and fiber quality traits. These ILs will be a new tool for cotton genetics and breeding.



GENETIC VARIABILITY IN SINGLE PLANT SELECTIONS FOR IMPROVING DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN UPLAND COTTON

S.B. Singh, A.H. Prakash and A. Karpe Central Institute for CottonResearch, Nagpur, India

Maximizing drought tolerance of crop species is an important component of any long term integrated system of farming in areas affected by drought. Genetic variability exist for drought tolerance within the species and methods available for expanding the source of genetic variability, however only limited number of varieties have been developed with improved tolerance based on agronomic characters viz., yield. Work on development of drought tolerant genotypes was initiated using drought tolerant sources. Sixty six single plant selections were evaluated under rainfed condition. Selections showed significant difference for seed cotton yield which ranged from 408.86 to 1803.86 kg /ha. Twenty eight and 47 selections were found to be superior to the check Rajat and LRA 5166 which recorded 1125.73 and 747.86 kg /ha seed cotton yield respectively. The selections were rated against LRA 5166 as standard (moderately tolerant to moisture stress). The lines were separated based on the differential expression of each biochemical factors in control and stress plants. The difference was expressed as% increase /decrease over the control. Considering physiological, biochemical and yield per se four lines viz., DTS 155-09, DTS 104-09, DTS 100-09 and DTS 108-09 were found to be tolerant. Many lines were promising with better yield under stress but did not qualify for biochemical ratings. Few promising cultures were identified which recorded more than 50% and 100% increase over the check Rajat and LRA 5166. Selection DTS 104-09, identified as ought tolerant, also recorded good yield (1750 kg /ha) and good fibre quality (27.2 mm 2.5% span length, 18.7 g /tex fibre strength and 4.2 10-6 g /in micronaire). DTS 96-09, DTS 143-09 and DTS 106-09 were some of the cultures which recorded more than 21.4 g /tex fibre strength and S /L ratio of >0.75 as against LRA 5166 which recorded fibre strength of 16.9 g /tex and S /L ratio of 0.69. The results suggest that selection of genotypes based on drought susceptibility index was effective in development /identification of drought tolerant genotypes


HIGH BOLL WEIGHT AND HIGH GINNING OUTTURN-THE MAJOR TOOLS FOR BREAKING YIELD BARRIERS IN Gossypium arboreum

P. Mohan, S. Manickam, S.K. Verma, D.Pathak, A.S. Singh and T.K. Das Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

High boll weight, high ginning outturn and optimum boll numbers are the major tools for breaking yield barriers in cotton. Therefore, a exploratory and expedition survey of the West Garo Hills in tribal area in Meghalaya of North Eastern Hill Region was conducted in November 2010. The 23 germplasm lines including perennials of Gossypium race cernuum were collected from the regions where there was no introduction of improved cotton varieties and commercial hybrids. The collected germplasm accessions were having deeply palmate leaf lobes, long petiole (20 cm), elongated acute, acrescent capsule with high boll weight (8 g) and trilocular ovary, seed cotton loaded bursted locule length (upto 15 cm), high locule retentivity and can resist high wind velocity with minimum locule shedding. They also possessed high ginning outturn (upto 50%), short staple (18.9 mm), fibre bundle strength (15.6 g /tex) and coarse fibre (micronaire 7.8). These germplasm accessions are important sources for genetic improvement of G. arboreum cottons in terms of locule retention capacity, boll weight and ginning outturn.



THERMOSENSITIVE GENETIC MALE STERILITY SYSTEM IN COTTON (G. arboreum L.)

S.M. Palve, V. Santhy, S.R. Bhat, S. Laxman, R. Patil, B.M. Khadi, S. Virkhede and P. Bihariya

Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, India

Thermosensitive Genetic Male sterility (TGMS) is a two line method of hybrid seed production where the sterile flowers are converted into fertile as well as fertile into sterile at a particular temperature. Once this is stabilized it is possible to convert any elite variety into TGMS and develop heterotic hybrids. In cotton, TGMS system in G. arboreum and photoperiod-sensitive genetic male sterility (PGMS) system in G. hirsutum has been identified for the first time. In G. arboreum the TGMS line remain sterile till minimum temperature reaches 240C and show complete pollen fertility at minimum temperature less than 180C. PGMS lines in G. hirsutum show complete pollen sterility when temperature rises above 400C for longer period. TGMS line 1-1 has been characterized and stabilized by continuous selfing. This line was also grown under phytotron conditions for confirming the phenomenon. Varying minimum /night temperature and a fixed maximum temperature was provided in the phytotron for G. arboreum and the phenomenon of reversion to complete fertility at 160C was confirmed. The period in between the completely fertile and completely sterile phase which produced partially fertile /partially sterile flowers were observed to be the sensitive stage. The flower behaviour during normal growing season in the field condition was observed continuously in this line for four consecutive years (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) and correlated with the prevailing weather conditions during the period. During the years 2007, 2008 and 2009, the flowers produced at the onset (i.e. during last week of August to first week of September depending on the sowing date) were sterile with very small white anthers. The mean minimum temperature during the period was 240C with continuous and good sunshine hours. As the temperature reduced towards the end of September and beginning of October, the flowers started turning fertile with yellow anthers. The flowers turned completely fertile with almost full yellow anthers when the mean minimum temperature reduced to 180C during the following month. Highest fertility was recorded during the months of October-November which later decreased as the temperature went down further.


Concurrent Session 26 DROUGHT AND HEAT TOLERANCE


IMPROVING DROUGHT STRESS ADAPTATION OF COTTON (G. hirsutum)–OPTIONS AND APPROACHES

M. Udaya Kumar GKVK, Bangalore, India

Though the old world cotton is cultivated owing to its inherent ability to tolerate drought and other stresses, the new world cotton (G. hirsutum) is increasingly being adopted for cultivation owing to its high yield potentials. However, the potential yield of this species has not been realized under drought, which is the major constraint in most rainfed areas of India. Thus, the major challenge facing cotton improvement is to enhance yield potential under water limited rainfed conditions and to sustain productivity with reduced irrigation. Crop improvement for drought tolerance through integration of adaptive traits is a promising option. Significant progress in recent years has led to the identification of several traits that have relevance in improving drought tolerance as well as development of suitable high throughput phenotyping strategies. Among such traits, those associated with maintenance of tissue water relations related with water mining and water conservation and factors related with cellular level tolerance to maintain positive carbon balance assume significance. For a comprehensive improvement in drought tolerance, several of these traits need to be introgressed into a single elite genetic background. The emphasis is here is to identify relevant traits and adopt conventional and /or molecular approaches to introgress them into an elite background with higher yield potential. Significant progress has been made in characterizing relevant traits of importance. However, the constraint is the lack of genetic and genomic resources which forms the basis for identifying relevant genes and QTL for transitional research program. Recent initiatives in generating genetic resources such as trait specific mapping population and trait donor genotypes besides the progress in developing genomic resources like marker systems, ESTs, validated genes offer promise to initiate a pragmatic genetic enhancement programs. Molecular breeding initiatives especially adoption of population genetic approaches that that relies on phenotypic and molecular characterization of a diverse panel of germplasm accessions and the new genotyping options are quite promising. Recent studies demonstrated the amenability of G. hirsutum germplasm for association mapping to identify QTL governing drought tolerance traits. In addition, transgenics have emerged as a potential option to pyramid specific drought tolerance traits. A conceptual approach of initially identifying recipient genotypes with superior water relations and expressing validated genes associated with cellular level tolerance has substantially improved field level tolerance. Several of these options are now available to initiate comprehensive and strategic programs to improve cotton productivity under water limited environments.


GENOMIC SELECTION FOR DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN COTTON

S. Muhammad, A. Hafiz, A. Dahab, G. Wangzhen and Z. Tianzhen National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (NCEMB), Pakistan

Cotton is an important fibre crop worldwide. Climate change is severely affecting crop production; cotton is no exception in this regard. Although cotton is considered relatively ought tolerant, but prolonged non-availability of irrigation water badly affects its production. There is considerable genetic variability in cotton germplasm with respect to ought tolerance. This variability is of future significance for the development of drought tolerant cotton cultivars with promising yield and fibre quality traits. ought tolerance, being a quantitative trait, is difficult to handle in crop improvement programs as many favorable recombinants have gone unnoticed. Application of molecular breeding techniques is very promising in this regard. Molecular markers are extensively used for tagging genomic regions involved in expression of specific traits. Marker-assisted selection is practiced at various labs, but it has met with limited success. Genomic selection is a recent version of marker-assisted selection (MAS). We are carrying out a research project for the development of ought tolerant cultivars using genomic selection techniques. The outcomes of this project are encouraging and it has shortened the time required for the development of cultivars. Genomic selection will play a greater role in future molecular breeding programs.



APPLYING TECHNOLOGY TO ADRESS THE CHALLENGES FACING GLOBAL COTTON IN THE NEXT DECADE

David M. Anderson Dow Agrosciences, USA

World cotton consumption grew steadily during the 9 year period between 1999 and 2007. Consumption declined in 2008 concomitant with the onset of the global economic crisis, but prices have strengthened over the course of the last 12 months. The strong improvement in lint prices has iven an increase in cotton planting, particularly in the US, and it is now projected that global lint production will exceed consumption for the first time in nearly a decade. Cotton markets are global, price is established at a global level, and the economic well-being of local cotton farmers is a reflection of the global cotton economy. We are all in this together. This talk provides an overview of the anticipated journey we will need to take in order to secure the overall health of the global cotton industry in the decades ahead. Increasing yield per acre while lowering costs of production are critical components of profitability for cotton growers. Both are central to the ongoing health of the cotton economy. Toward this end, we are deploying technologies are enabling us to mine race stocks and diploid species for new traits of interest. We are using marker-based technologies to assist in the breeding of cotton germplasm with enhanced tolerance to soil pathogens. We are developing new herbicide tolerance and insect resistance traits in cotton to deliver more robust field performance. We are utilizing ExZact™ zinc finger technology to enable site specific integration of new traits as well as in situ gene editing. Each of these technologies will contribute to reducing costs associated with production and elevating the total productivity per acre. Ultimately the answer to a healthy global cotton farm economy is to be found in achieving a higher world price for cotton fiber in tandem with step improvements in productivity per acre enabled by the research activities referenced above. At Dow AgroSciences, we believe that enhanced competitiveness of cotton through the development of cotton fibers with new functionalities is essential. These will enable new end uses that in turn ive higher demand, capture a higher proportion of the world spindles (most likely at the expense of man made fibers including polyester), and thereby help stabilize and elevate prices paid for cotton lint over time. Consumers consistently identify significant unmet needs in cotton fabrics and articulate desired new functionalities including modified permeability, improved durability, shrink and wrinkle resistance, shape retention and fire retardation. Each of these individual categories has an estimated potential market impact in the US alone of $5 billion or more and if achieved in cotton, could significantly elevate cotton's share of the global spinning system. In our view, these are all improvements that can be enabled in cotton. At Dow AgroSciences, we have established a solid cotton business foundation comprising significant germplasm resources, technology and broad intellectual property assets. We are setting the stage for the next decade of global advancement in cotton improvement by aggressively exploring ways to improve the overall economics of cotton production for growers by becoming the cotton industry's preferred technology provider in high yielding cultivars prized by the mills for their spinning performance.



MARKER-ASSISTED SELECTION FOR IMPROVING DROUGHT RESISTANCE IN COTTON

Y. Saranga1, A. Levi1 and A. Paterson2 1The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2University of Georgia, USA

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is gaining an increasing recognition as an efficient approach for improving simply inherited traits; however, there are hardly any examples of successful MAS for complex polygenic traits, such as yield and ought resistance. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for yield and drought-adaptive physiological traits (osmotic potential, carbon isotope ratio - an indicator of water use efficiency, and leaf chlorophyll content), were exchanged via MAS between elite cultivars of the two cotton species, Gossypium barbadense and G. hirsutum. The resulting near isogenic lines (NILs) were examined in three field trials to test the effect of the introgressed QTL alleles on cotton productivity under ought conditions and the underlying physiological traits. A considerable number of NILs exhibited the expected phenotypes in term of greater osmotic adjustment, higher carbon isotope ratio, and higher chlorophyll content. Moreover, a few NILs exhibited modifications in non-targeted traits such as greater photosynthetic capacity under severe ought, modified leaf morphology, and considerable changes in metabolic and mineral profiles. Finally, NILs introgressed with QTL alleles associated with high yield rarely exhibited a yield advantage over the recurrent parent, consistently with other introgression studies, suggesting that the well balanced genetic and physiological systems of the recurrent parents may be interrupted by these introgressions. We conclude that MAS is a useful approach to enhance ought-adaptive traits in cotton, but complimentary recombination and selection are required to combine these traits with high yield potential.


COTTON TRANSGENICS WITH E-BINDING TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR GENE (EB 1A) AND ZINC FINGER GENE (ZF1) CONFERS ENHANCED TOLERANCE TO DROUGHT

J. Amudha1, G. Balasubramani1, A.H. Prakash1, C. Swetha1, K.C. Bansal2 and K.R. Kranthi1 1Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, 2NBPGR, New Delhi, India

Abiotic stress ought is major limiting factors that influence plant growth and crop production. Abiotic stress mediated gene expression has been shown to be regulated by different transcription factors of which, Dehyation responsive element binding (EB 1A) protein plays a key role. The transcription factors EB1 A are important in the ABA-independent ought tolerant pathways that induce the expression of stress response genes. EB transcription factors bind to dehyation responsive element (E /CRT) of genes at promoter region. E contains one sequence A /GCCGAC which was identified as cis acting promoter element that regulates the expression of downstream genes. Drought tolerant transgenics were developed in elite genotypes LRA 5166 and LRK 516 through Agrobacterium mediated transformation with Prd29: EB 1A and PLEA1:Bc ZF1 gene constructs. Embryonic axes were excised from 48 hr grown cottonseeds used as explants and the shoots were screened in the MS medium with 50µg /ml kanamycin. The regenerated shoots were transformed in the MS medium containing auxin 1mg /l and cytokinin 1mg /l. The transgenics were confirmed for the presence of the gene by PCR using specific primers for EB 1A, ZF1, npt II and the copy number by Southern analysis. RT-PCR study was carried out by isolating NA from transgenic plants and cDNA was synthesized using the transcriptor high fidelity cDNA synthesis Roche kit. The cDNA of the transgenic plants were used for amplification with npt II primer and EB 1A gene specific primer. To plants were hardened in the polyhouse. The transgenics were subjected for ought tolerance by physiological and biochemical studies at regular interval. The biochemical changes induced due to stress was quantified at 0, 7 and 15 days. The control plants showed a immediate increase in the synthesis of reducing sugars, amino acids and proline, but declined by seven days, while the transformed plants showed a gradual increase in solute accumulation and maintained high even after 7 days. The leaf water potential also was maintained at higher level due to accumulation of solutes, which was not observed in case of control plants. The leaf discs from stressed plants of both transformed and non-transformed were placed on PEG medium with varying degrees of stress (0, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 MPa). The non-transformed discs produced very high phenolics which led to death of the tissues with stress whereas transformed discs survived. There was an inherent tolerance developed in transgenic plants due to EB 1A and Bc ZF1 genes.


Concurrent Session 27 INSECT PEST MANAGEMENT


DEVELOPMENT OF METAPOPULATION APPROACH FOR LANDSCAPE-LEVEL Lygus hesperus MANAGEMENT IN TEXAS

M.N. Parajulee, R.B. Shrestha, W.O. McSpadden and S.C. Carroll Texas A&M University, USA

Insect habitat source-sink dynamics is a vital consideration for ecologically intensive pest management. Manipulation of habitat source-sink dynamics, whether via promoting sink plant hosts, or trap crops, destroying source plant hosts (alternate hosts or breeding places) adjacent to the field crop, or promoting asynchronicity between antagonistic source and sink habitat phenologies are effective pest management strategies. Determining the source or sink capacity of a particular host presents a unique challenge, especially when the target pest species is highly mobile and polyphagous. The western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus, is polyphagous, and inhabits >300 hosts. In the Texas High Plains, its presence has been documented in twenty-six unique roadside-growing weed hosts, and Lygus hesperus is a cotton pest of increasing importance in the region. Previous studies have demonstrated a Lygus preference for alfalfa over cotton and several weed hosts. A four-year Lygus study involved surveying and sampling the agricultural landscapes of several sub-regions of the South Western United States, including the Texas High Plains. In Texas, geographic information system (GIS) technologies were used to analyze true-to-ground landscape vegetation data collected in the Texas High Plains. Fifty irrigated cotton fields were sampled via sweep-net weekly for ten weeks during peak cotton growth. Weekly sampling of six non-cotton habitats within a 3-km radius of ten selected fields was performed concurrently. Seasonal average Lygus abundance data were regressed with 27 focal field characteristics (variables), including habitat-specific land cover, distance between focal fields and non-cotton habitats, longitude, latitude, elevation, surrounding habitat heterogeneity index, and several environmental /ecological variables. Significant variables were selected using a stepwise regression at 15% probability rate. The resulting 10-parameter linear model explained 93% of the variation in the data. Major parameters that contributed significantly to variation in Lygus abundance in cotton were corn and sunflower acreages, focal field distances from several non-cotton hosts, and surrounding habitat heterogeneity index. In addition, field marking and capture (FMC) studies were conducted using protein markers and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to characterize Lygus intercrop movement behavior. The FMC approach can be used to study the effects of various crop management practices on L. hesperus intercrop movement and can potentially be applied to other pests and cropping systems.


EFFORTS TO MITIGATE STICKINESS PROBLEM IN SUDAN

A. Abdelatif1 and E. Babiker2 1Abdelrahman Hassan Abdelatif /Agricultural Research Corporation,

2Elfadil Abdelrahman Babiker /Agricultural Research Corporation, Sudan

Stickiness is one of the limiting factors for cotton production and marketing in many countries and obliged cotton grower, worldwide, to sell their sticky cotton at lower prices. In the Sudan, research programs were carried out by the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC), adessing the causes and control measure in attempted to find a remedy for the problem. of these efforts manipulating the morphological and physiological characters of the cotton plant in such away to reduce the whitefly population and allow for easy biological, chemical and cultural control, resulting in developing very promising lines as well as identification of the type of sugar causing cotton stickiness and the establishment of reliable methods for grading cotton stickiness. Also efforts were continued at the international level. Stickiness research project was endorsed and financed by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) during 1997-2001. The objectives of the project were to develop an objective methodology to separate sticky from non-sticky cotton. The study revealed considerable variability in stickiness levels among the cotton production areas, and also, considerably low levels of stickiness were observed in some schemes. This suggested that further studies focusing on the efforts to mitigate stickiness in the Sudan were needed involving the cultural practice where a long term improvement of stickiness free production were observed.



INFLUENCE OF SPATIAL CROPPING PATTERNS OF COTTON CULTIVATION ON POPULATION DYNAMICS OF MIRID BUG, Creontiades biseratense (Distant)

B. Dhara jothi1, T. Sonai Rajan1, V.S. Nagrare2, M. Amutha1, Rishi Kumar3 and T. Surulivelu1 1CICR Regional Station, Coimbatore, 2CICR, Nagpur

3CICR Regional Station, Sirsa, India

Miridbug Creontiades biseratense (Distant) has been reported as an emerging pest on Bt cotton from the States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Nymphs and adults of C. biseratense cause damage to squares, flowers and tender bolls leading to the shrivelling of affected parts and premature opping and subsequent yield reduction. Present study assessed the population dynamics of C. biseratense across different spatial cropping patterns of cotton viz., cotton surrounded by non-target crop (Tomato) and cotton with intercrop (cowpea) during (2008-09) and additional adjacent cropping patterns viz., cotton adjacent to weedy road and cotton adjacent to fallow weeds during 2009-10 with sole crop of cotton as control during both the years under farmers field conditions at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. During 2008-09, nymphal population varied significantly with the cropping system between 37th standard meteorological week (SMW) and 41st SMW wherein minimum population was recorded in cotton + pulses (0.85-2.90 /plant) consistently. Among the five cropping patterns during 2009-10, cotton adjacent to weedy road recorded the maximum seasonal mean population of nymphs besides for two periods. The adult population recorded across different cropping patterns was of the order: cotton + cowpea (0.80-1.20 /plant) > cotton surrounded by tomato (1.05-1.70 /plant) > cotton alone > cotton adjacent to weedy road > cotton adjacent to fallow fields. Significant difference in square damage was recorded during second fortnights of September, November and December during 2008-09. Square damage recorded was minimum in cotton + cowpea (8.40-12.76%) and cotton + tomato (10.62-14.86%) and maximum in cotton alone (14.67-30.02%). During 2009-10, though cotton adjacent to weedy road recorded maximum square damage initially, cotton surrounded by tomato recorded maximum damage in the later stages of the crop. Cotton + cowpea cropping system recorded minimum boll damage (9.06-18.61%) as compared to other patterns of cotton cultivation. Cotton surrounded by tomato recorded maximum square and boll damage. The results indicated that cotton + cowpea intercrop with weed free surroundings reduced the mirid bug population, and forms an important component of IPM package for the management of the pest.


DETERMINATION OF ECONOMIC INJURY LEVEL FOR DEFOLIATOR Spodoptera litura (Fab.) ON Bt COTTON

M. Bheemanna, S. Hanchinal, A. Hosamani and R. Chowdary University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, India

Cotton defoliator Spodoptera litura (Fab.) is considered to be one of the important pests after introduction of Bt cotton. The damage potential and economic injury level (EIL) for S. litura larvae on Bt cotton (NCS 145 BG) at different days after sowing were worked out. The correlation between the number of larvae per plant and% leaf damage was positive and significant (r = 0.99). Seed cotton yield at 90 days after sowing ranged between 26.12 to 32.14 q /ha with yield reduction over control that varied from 5.16 to 18.73%. The correlation between the number of larvae per plant and seed cotton yield was negative and significant (r = - 0.96), where as correlation between the larval population per plant and reduction in cotton yield over control was positive and significant (r = 0.96). The EIL was worked out for two years during 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. Economic injury level was 2.64, 3.47 and 4.27 larvae per plant at 90,120 and 135 days after sowing, respectively during 2008-09. Similarly during 2009-10, EIL was 1.68, 2.44, 2.54 and 3.59 larvae per plant at 90, 105, 120 and 135 DAS, respectively.



SURVIVAL OF PINK BOLLWORM, Pectinophora gossypiella (SAUNDERS) ON Bt AND NON Bt COTTON IN NORMAL AND LATE SOWING WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS TO AVOID POPULATION PRESSURE

M. Sarma and N. Senguttuvan Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

Bt cotton (Bollgard®) offers high level of resistance against cotton bollworm complex ie., Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), Earias vittella (Fabricius) and Pectinophora gossypiella (PBW) (Saunders) both under laboratory as well as field conditions. Bt cotton constitutes more than 80% of the total area in India. Since its introduction in India from 2002, it is going on well with the Indian farmers. Though a strong monitoring system exists through All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Programme (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) in India regarding bollworm incidence in Bt cotton, recent report of ineffectiveness of Bollgard (Cry1Ac) to pink bollworm in certain parts of Gujarat (The Hindu, Dated 6.3.2010) made it necessary to investigate thoroughly the pink bollworm incidence in Bt cotton. Hence, studies were carried out under the AICCIP (ICAR) regarding the incidence of pink bollworm in Bt and Non Bt cotton in the Cotton farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu, India during winter season, 2010-11 under normal sowing date (13th August). The Bt cotton hybrid, Bt Bunny (Cry 1Ac) and Bt Bunny - BG II (Cry 1Ac+ Cry 2Ab) recorded no flower damage, green boll damage and locule damage by pink bollworm compared to Non-Bt cotton, (MCU 5) which recorded 1-3% flower damage, 4-12% green boll damage and 1-3% locule damage. In a surprising observation on the PBW incidence in the second sowing taken in cotton farm (28th September) heavy damage (up to 100%) especially at boll bursting stage was observed in an advanced entry TCHH 2322 whereas many BG and BG II entries showed nil PBW damage. The wide variation in PBW incidence level in Non Bt within a gap of a month interval in sowing (normally happens in cotton research farms) is of great significance. This warrants careful monitoring for PBW, as there is a chance of these heavy populations observed in late sowing in Non Bt which may lead to PBW infestation on Bt cotton. Hence research farms must try to avoid above type of situations (different dates of sowing) if not, at least try to monitor pink bollworm incidence in sowings done after the first and manage the PBW effectively so as to keep them well below the threshold level in order to prevent even very low level of incidence of PBW in Bt cotton.


Concurrent Session 28 WEED MANAGEMENT


COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIFFERENT WEEDING METHODS ON COTTON CROP UNDER IP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

D.B. Muhammad1, M.N. Afzal1, I. Raza1 and P.L. Dupont2 1Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan, Pakistan and 2M /s Jaffer Brother (Pvt.) Ltd.

Weeds are the most efficient users of resources due to their different kinds, intensity, fast growth and soil coverage habits. To keep the weeds below the critical threshold level,where the use of tractor awn implements is not possible, field experiment was conducted in two consecutive years (2009 and 2010) to evaluate the effect of different weed control measures on weed intensity, seed cotton yield, its components and fibre characteristics of cotton crop under ip irrigation. Treatments comprised Stomp 330E (Pendimethalin 33%) @ 2.5 litre /ha, Dual Gold 960EC (s-metolachlor) @ 2.0 litre /ha, Mera 71SG (Ammonium salt of Glyphosate) @ 2.0 kg /ha, Stomp 330E + Mera 71SG, Dual Gold 960EC + Mera 71SG, Plastic mulching, Manual weeding and untreated check. Treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design with four replications. Cotton cultivar CIM 573 was dibbled manually on top of the beds at the Experimental Research Area of Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan on silty loam soil. Results indicated that chemical weeding increased seed cotton yield and its components than untreated whether applied alone or in combination. However, Dual Gold 960EC + Mera 71SG applied in combination gave 141.5% increased in seed cotton yield over untreated. Anyhow, manual weeding (3 times) produced maximum seed cotton yield among the treatments which is 167.8% more than untreated. Furthermore, all chemical weeding methods gave significantly better control of broad and narrow leaved weeds control over untreated. However, Dual Gold 960EC + Mera 71SG resulted in 98.5 and 98.6% broad and narrow leaved weeds control, respectively at 60 days after sowing over untreated. Plastic mulching resulted in maximum broad leaved weeds and grasses control except sedges among all the treatments, but, showed the lowest (49.5%) increase in seed cotton yield over untreated. No distinctive disparity in fiber characteristics was observed in all the treatments.


STALE SEED BED TECHNIQUE OF WEED CONTROL FOR Bt COTTON BASED INTERCROPPING SYSTEM

E. Narayana, S. Reddy and V. Rajeswari Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam ANGRAU, India

Weed control, especially in the early stages of crop growth is crucial as competition between cotton and weeds can result in considerable yield losses, which was estimated to an average of 35% worldwide. A field experiment was conducted during 2010-11. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design having 6 treatments viz. weed control by Stale Seed Bed Technique (S.S.B.T) using glyphosate 1.0 kg /ha (spraying of glyphosate once one week after the soaked rain i.e. one week before sowing) followed by 1 hand weeding at 35-40 DAS (T1); W.C by S.S.B.T using pendimethalin @1kg /ha herbicide spraying after three days of the soaked rain) followed by 1 HW at 35-40 DAS (T2); W.C by S.S.B.T using glyphosate 1.0 kg /ha + pendimethalin 1.0 kg /ha (spraying herbicides mixture once one week after the soaked rain i.e.one week before sowing) followed by 1HW at 35-40 DAS (T3); Pre- emergence weed control using pendimethalin 1.5 kg /ha on the day of cotton sowing followed by hand weeding at 35-40 DAS (T4); Removal of germinated weeds once after soaked rain i.e one week before sowing followed by hand weeding at 35-40DAS (T5) and Unweeded check (T6). Cotton intercropped with greengram was sown in first week of July and followed standard package of practices for respective crops. SSBT by using Glyphosate 1.0 kg + Pendimethalin 1.0 kg (spraying herbicides mixture once one week after the soaking rain i.e. one week before sowing) recorded the lowest weed density (33 /sq.m), which was significantly superior to the rest of the treatments except T4, where pre-emergence weed control by using pendimethalin 1.5 kg /ha on the day of cotton sowing was done and followed by hand weeding at 35 to 45 days after sowing. There was 55% reduction in weed y matter under T3 as compared to unweeded check. The highest BCR (2.37) was recorded by using the mixture of glyphosate 1kg /ha and pendimethalin 1kg /ha under Stale Seed Bed Technique followed by one hand weeding at 35 to 40 days after sowing. The benefit cost ratio has been significantly reduced under weedy check by 53 to 58% as compared to Stale Seed Bed Technique with different chemicals as well as manual weeding.



AGRONOMIC MANAGEMENT AND BENEFITS OF GLYPHOSATE TOLERANT TRANSGENIC COTTON HYBRIDS

C. Chinnusamy, C. Nithya and P. Muthukrishanan Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

Herbicide resistant transgenic crops containing transgenes that impart resistance to post-emergence, non-selective herbicides such as glyphosate and glufosinate facilitate reduced or no-tillage cultural practices, eliminate use of some of the more environmentally suspect herbicides and use fewer herbicides to manage nearly the entire spectrum of weed species. The introduction of glyphosate-resistant (Round up Ready) cotton cultivars in addition to the herbicides flumioxazin, pyrithiobac and trifloxysulfuron-sodium has increased the options for weed management in cotton. Glyphosate resistant cotton was introduced in 1997 and revolutionized weed control in cotton. The introduction of Round up Ready-Flex cotton in 2006 provided producers with greater flexibility in the timing of herbicide application and also offered a broad spectrum of weed control than other systems. Glyphosate and glufosinate have almost no soil residual activity because they are tightly bound to the organic particles in the soil. Glyphosate tolerant crops will not cause any residual effect on succeeding crops. It also has allowed a shift to conservation tillage. RRFlex offers farmers a powerful new tool that, if used wisely, can be incorporated into an integrated pest management strategy that can be used for many years to more economically and effectively manage weeds.


EVALUATION OF PYRITHIOBAC ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH GRASSY HERBICIDES ON WEED CONTROL IN COTTON

A.S. Rao Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, India

The present study was undertaken to evaluate pyrithiobac alone and in combination with different grassy herbicides as tank mixtures on weed control in cotton and also to characterize their nature of interaction A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2009-10 and 2010-11 with seven treatments in a randomized block design. The treatments consisted of viz, unweeded check, pyrithiobac 63g /ha, clodinafop propargyl 60g /ha, fenoxaprop ethyl 56g /ha, quizalofop ethyl 50g /ha, pyrithiobac 32g + clodinafop propargyl 30g /ha, pyrithiobac 32g + fenoxaprop ethyl 28g /ha, pyrithiobac 32g + quizalofop ethyl 25g /ha applied as post-emergence at 20 days after sowing (DAS). Herbicides were tested alone and in combination at 0.5 and 1.0x (1.0x being suggested use rate for these herbicides). Results indicated that all the weed control treatments significantly reduced weed growth over unweeded check.The dominant weed flora of the experimental plots consisted of Echinochloa colona, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Panicum repense, Dinebra retroflexa (grasses) Cyperus rotundus, (sedge), Trianthema portulacastrum, Cleome viscosa, Phyllanthus niruri, Digera arvensis, Physalis minima, Abutilon indicum (broad leaf weeds). Results further indicated that tank mixing of pyrithiobac with grassy herbicides was found to be superior to alone application of post-emrgence herbicides in increasing spectrum of weed control without any injury to cotton crop. Among the treatments, post emergence application of pyrithiobac 32 g + quizilafop ethyl 25g /ha at 20 DAS recorded the lowest weed y weight and increased yield attributes and yield in both the years (2137 kg /ha, 2403 kg /ha respectively). Further the higher benefit cost ratio was also obtained in this treatment in both the years (0.75, 1.06 respectively). Of the three herbicide combinations, two (pyrithiobac 32g + clodinafop propargyl 30g /ha and pyrithiobac 32g + fenoxaprop ethyl 28g /ha) were found to be antagonistic and remaining one (pyrithiobac 32g + quizalofop ethyl 25g /ha) was found to be additive. From the two years study, it has been concluded that whenever inter-cultivation is not possible, post-emergence application of pyrithiobac 32g + quizalofop ethyl 25g /ha at 20 DAS is effective and economical in cotton.



COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF HERBICIDES FOR CONTROLLING WEEDS IN Bt COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

V. Usdadia, J.G. Patel, V.C. Raj, R.R. Parmar, R.L. Leva, C.M. Sutaria and V. Kumar Navsari Agricultural University, Surat, India

A field experiment was conducted during 2007-08 to 2009-10 at Main Cotton Research Station, NAU, Surat (Gujarat) under irrigated condition involving ten treatments viz., weedy check (control), local practices (hand weeding at 20, 40 and 60 DAS and interculture at 45 and 90 DAS) and different rates of herbicides (Pendimethalin and Fluchloralin as pre-emergence and Quizalofop ethyl as post-emergence). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. Cotton Bt hybrid RCH 2 was sown in last week of June at 120 x 45 cm and fertilized with 240:0:0 kg NPK /ha. The maximum y weight of weed was recorded at harvest in the weedy check. All the herbicides and cultural operation treatments decreased significantly weed density than weedy check. Low weed density as well as y weed weight was recorded under Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg /ha pre-emergence + hand weeding at 30 and 60 DAS treatment, followed by Fluchloralin @ 0.75 and 1.0 kg /ha pre-emergence with hand weeding 30 & 60 DAS and local practices (Three hand weeding at 20, 40 and 60 DAS and two inter culturing at 45 and 90 DAS). The weed control efficiency was observed highest under treatment of Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg /ha + hand weeding at 30 and 60 DAS, followed by Fluchloralin @ 0.75 or 1.0 kg /ha + hand weeding at 30 and 60 DAS and local practices. The higher weed control efficiency with the above treatment would be attributed to lower weed y bio-mass. All herbicidal treatments as well as hand weeding at 20, 40 and 60 and inter culturing at 45 and 90 DAS resulted in more number of sympodial branches and bolls per plant and boll weight over weedy check. The highest seed cotton yield was recorded in the treatment of Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg /ha + hand weeding at 30 and 60 DAS. However the lowest seed cotton yield was registered under weedy check. In terms of economics, the maximum net monetary returns and BCR was accrued under herbicidal treatment of Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg /ha as pre-emergence + two hand weeding at 30 and 60 DAS. Thus integrated weed management practice is effective, efficient and economical to control weeds in Bt cotton.


Concurrent Session 29 LEAF CURL VIRUS MANAGEMENT


CHANGING SCENARIO OF COTTON DISEASES IN INDIA-THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

D. Monga1, K.R. Kranthi 2, N. Gopalakrishnan3 and C.D. Mayee4 1CICR Regional Station, Sirsa, 2CICR, Nagpur, 3ICAR, New Delhi, 4ASRB, New Delhi, India

The cotton disease scenario has shown a continuous change during the past sixty three years since independence. When mainly indigenous diploid cottons were being grown in fifties, Fusarium wilt, root rot, seedling blight, anthracnose and grey mildew were the major probleWith the large scale cultivation of tetraploid upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), bacterial blight became the major disease to which indigenous cottons were highly resistant. After the introduction of Bt cotton hybrids during 2002 onwards and continuous increase in area under these hybrids to around 85% of total cotton area till date, the disease scenario has also shown some change. The grey mildew, once a serious problem for diploid cottons especially in central India has now become a major problem in Bt cotton hybrids. Grey mildew (percent disease intensity) in central zone was recorded on Bt cotton hybrids during 2010-11 in Maharashtra in the irrigated areas of Vidarbh region (9.16 to 20.42% & Nanded-6.50 to 27.25%). In south zone it was severe in two states ie Karnataka (5.0-30.0%), and Andhra Pardesh (28.9-46.4) during the season. Among other important diseases on Bt hybrids, Bacterial blight was reported as important disease in central zone inMaharashtra (Vidarbha- 8.33 to 22.22%; Nanded 2.25 to 15.75%) and in south zone in Karnataka (5.0-15.0%) and Andhra Pardesh (8.0-47.6%). Alternaria blight was observed serious during 2010-11 season in Gujarat’s Saurashtra area (2.0-15.0%) and Maharashtra’s Rahuri (10.2-35.8%) & Nanded (5.0-21.5%) and in south zone states ie Karnataka (5.0-30.0%), Andhra Pradesh (10.0-54.6%) and Tamil Nadu from 12.56 to 38.85%. (Anonymous 2010). Fusarium wilt has become less important as upland cotton now occupying 85% area is immune to Indian race of the pathogen. Verticillium wilt which appeared in Tamil Nadu remained restricted mainly to that state only. In north India again, the leaf curl disease caused by gemini virus and transmitted by white fly Bemisia tabaci has become a threat to cotton cultivation due to development of new recombinant strains and introduction of a number of susceptible Bt cotton hybrids in north zone. A disease identified as Tobacco Streak Virus (IIar virus) transmitted by thrips was observed in the transgenic cotton growing region of Southern Maharashtra and Andhra Pardesh. (Sharma et al, 2007). Avoidable losses due to important diseases like cotton leaf curl virus, (50.7%),bacterial leaf blight(20.6%), Alternaria leaf spot (22.0%), grey mildew (31.3%) and Myrothecium leaf spot (29.1%) have been documented. Newer chemicals like propiconazole, captan+hexaconazole, tetraconazole and strobilurin compounds (fungicides) and copper hyoxide (bactericides) have been successfully tested for the management of foliar disease of cotton. Strategies for the integrated management of diseases causing losses in terms of yield and quality need to be redefined.



A NEW STRATEGY TO DEVELOP VIRUS TOLERANT COTTON PLANTS

T. Husnain, M.S. Haider, M.A. Khan, B. Aftab, M.Y. Khan, A.A. Shahid and B. Rashid Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), Lahore, Pakistan

Wax deficient mutants were developed from Gossypium arboreum by physical and chemical mutagens and confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometer (GC-MS) and found having 50% less wax than wild type plants. Comparative study was conducted to test the mutant plants whether the whitefly can transmit the virus in wax deficient mutants, viruliferous whiteflies were incubated on the wax deficient mutant plant with negative and positive control, G. arboreum variety 786 wild type and G. hirsutum variety MNH 93 plants respectively. The results showed that the viruliferous whiteflies has transmited the virus to G. hirsutum variety MNH 93 and to wax deficient mutants of G. arboreum variety 786 plants but not to G.arboreum variety 786 wild type plants. The full length virus was successfully amplified in wax deficient mutant plants and G. hirsutum variety MNH-93 plants while G. arboreum variety 786 showed negative results for viral amplification by Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA). Two genes involved in epicuticular wax biosynthesis were found to be differentially expressed in cotton plants under ought stress. One of them is a homologue of eceriferum 3 genes of Arabidopsis thaliana (GaCer3) which is upregulated when irrigation is stopped and upon rewatering expression is more enhanced. This increase in expression can be co-related with the increase in epicuticular wax load under drought stress and ultimately decreasing the water loss by transpiration. The other wax gene is a homologue of 3-ketoacyl Co-A synthase (Gakcs1) and is suppressed under ought stress and is supposed to reduce the amount of C26-C30 alcohols and aldehydes thus altering the composition of wax. Differential display reverse transcriptase PCR technique was applied to compare overall differences in gene expressions between virus infected and healthy cotton plants. Screening through twelve primer-pair combinations resulted in up-regulation of twenty six cDNA transcripts and confirmed that seven transcripts have significant homology with protein sequences of known genes. The transcripts showed significant homology with the ribosomal protein, Photosystem protein unit, a membrane protein and predicted hypothetical protein. The transcripts identified are first time reported against CLCuV infection and submitted to GenBank database as novel ESTs. Due to significant homology of transcript A6B2 with Vitis vinefera protein that was supposed to be involved against CLCuV infection, was selected and full length gene, GhLCVR (Accession Number: HQ338125) has been amplified. The gene comprises a single open reading frame of 142 amino acids with molecular mass of 16.1 kDa. Predicted amino acid sequence shares 33- 80% identities with other species. All these studies could provide a valuable source for the future improvement of cotton varieties against CLCuV infection.


VENI VIDI VICI-COTTON LEAF CURL BUREWALA VIRUS (CLCUBUV) IN NORTHWESTERN INDIA

P. Rajagopalan, A. Naik, P. Katturi, M. Kurulekar and R. Anandalakshmi Mahyco Research Center, India

Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) is a major limitation to cotton production on the Indian subcontinent. A survey for viruses causing CLCuD was conducted between 2009 and 2010 cropping seasons in the northwestern Indian cotton growing belt in the states Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The partial sequences of 258, as well as full-length sequences of 22 complete virus genome sequences were determined. We show that the resistance breaking Cotton leaf curl Burewala virus (CLCuBuV) is now the dominant virus in many fields. The spread and establishment of the mutant CLCuBuV in northwestern India, the variation in the genomic sequence, virulence /infectivity and implications for cotton breeding are discussed.



MEDIUM STAPLE ARBOREUM COTTONS: AN ALTERNATIVE TO HIRSUTUM COTTON IN CLCV PRONE AREAS

P. Pundhir, A. Bhardwaj and C.J. Kapoor Agricultural Research Station, Sriganganagar, India

Outbreak of cotton leaf curl virus disease in 1993-94, was a new phenomenon in North India, that caused a serious concern amongst scientists and cultivators. Most of the potential varieties such as RST 9, F 846, Bikaneri Narma, Ganganagar ageti became susceptible to this disease. However, some hirsutum cultivars such as RS 875, LHH 144, LRA 5166 were found resistant against the disease. Efforts were made to develop new resistant cultivars of American cotton. After a gap of 10 years some new cultivars such as RS 2013, RS 810, CSHH 198, H 1226, LH 1861 having high degree of resistance against CLCV were developed. But within a short span of 5-6 years with the resurgence of a new race of CLCV, almost all the cultivars of hirsutum cotton (Bt or non-Bt) became susceptible to this new strain of CLCV. Till date cultivars of G arboreum are immune to this disease, therefore, efforts have been made to improve fibre quality traits in arboreum cotton to make them suitable to high-speed machine spinning. Newly developed stains of G. arboreum were evaluated for yield and fibre quality parameters. Correlation coefficients amongst yield and quality parameters were worked out. In earlier efforts for quality improvement in arboreum cotton success was achieved in case of fibre length only, however, number of newly developed strains evaluated in present study are at par in yield to short staple cultivars but superior in both fibre length as well as strength(tenacity). These genotypes were having fairly high boll weight also. Seed cotton yield showed non-significant association with quality parameters indicating that in arboreum cotton. high yielding genotypes with better fibre quality can be developed. Associations amongst the fibre property parameters revealed that 2.5% span length had significant and positive correlation with strength however its associations with short fibre content, micronair value, uniformity ratio and elongation percent were negative. Fibre strength also had similar association with these fibre quality traits. Genotypes with medium staple length were having less short fibre content as compare to those having short fibre length. Positive and significant correlations were observed between uniformity ratio, micronair value, elongation percent and short fibre content.


EVALUATION OF COTTON GERMPLASM (Gossypium hirsutum L.) AND Bt COTTON HYBRIDS AGAINST COTTON LEAF CURL VIRUS DISEASE IN HARYANA

J. Beniwal and S.S. Siwach CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India

Cotton leaf curl virus, white fly (Bemisia tabaci) transmitted Gemini virus is recognized as most severe viral pathogen of cotton causing cotton leaf curl virus disease (CLCuD). In India the disease was noticed during 1993 in small pockets in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan (India). Within a short span of 4 to 5 years it spread to entire North Indian cotton growing area. The virus produces characteristic symptoms of curling of leaves, thickening of veins and veinlets, enation and development of cup shaped leafy like out growth from the underside of the leaf blade. In severe case stunting of the plant, shortening of internodes, leaves, reduction in boll number and seed cotton yield take place. CLCuD is capable of causing 10 to 46% losses in seed cotton yield. The disease can be managed by various methods like eradication or clean cultivation in and around cotton field; management of white fly (vector) in early stage but the effective, economical and eco-friendly management method is development of resistant varieties /hybrids. Five hundred American cotton germplasm lines were screened against CLCuD under natural epiphytotic conditions during 2009-10 and 2010-11. A susceptible variety HS-6 was sown as infector row after every 4th test entry so that uniform inoculum was available to all germplasm lines. Out of these genotypes 15 were found resistant, 35 moderately resistant and rest susceptible to CLCuD. Out of 103 Bt cotton hybrids tested, only six have been found moderately resistant to this disease.


Concurrent Session 30 FIBRE PROCESSING


DIFFERENTIAL SPEED SETTING FACILITY FOR ROLLER AND BEATER IN GINS FOR HIGHER GINNING RATES

S.B. Jadhav and K.R.K. Iyer

CIRCOT, India

In the present-day D.R.gin being used in many cotton growing countries of the world, the rollers rotate with a speed of about 90 rpm while the reciprocating knives (beaters) make about 1000 oscillations per minute. Studies at CIRCOT have shown that different speed combinations of the rollers and the beaters can produce spectacular changes in ginning rate (kg /hr) in cottons of different staple classes. In the conventional gin, differential speed variation is not possible because both rollers and beaters are operated by the same ive mechanism. As a result, when the rollers are made to rotate faster, the beaters too would get faster making more number of oscillations. In the modified gin designed at CIRCOT, two independent ives are provided for the rollers and the beaters whereby differential speed adjustment is rendered possible. It has been shown that higher roller speeds such as 110 to 140 rpm coupled with a beater speed of 1000 oscillations per minute can increase the ginning rate by 50-140%. The increase is found to be more in the case of cottons of longer staple length. Interestiglyl, higher rates of processing do not cause fibre damage. The new gin design holds promise for a substantial reduction in processing cost.


IMPROVED PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES FOR COTTON GINNING AND BY-PRODUCT— A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR FOR PROSPERITY OF COTTON PROCESSING SECTOR

M.K. Sharma Bajaj Steel Industries Limited, Nagpur

Cotton, the White Gold is a unique crop as its every item is having multiple uses, the optimization of each component of it at processing stage is a sure way to be ahead of others and adds to prosperity. The retention of natural fibre parameters, higher outturn of clean cotton fibre, obtaining of undamaged and cleaner cotton seed etc by adopting improved processing technologies have been a contributing factor in Indian Cotton Processing Sector particularly in Cotton Ginning, Cotton Pressing, Cotton Seed Delinting, Decorticating, oil milling and products made from cotton stalk. It will certainly play a significant role in prosperity of related sectors in India and other countries adopting the improved technologies developed /used in India. The technologies developed /provided by largest manufacturer of cotton ginning pressing, delinting and decorticating machinery manufacturer M /s. Bajaj Steel Industries Ltd., Nagpur India in Technical Collaboration with M /s. Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) ICAR Govt. of India, M /s. Continental Eagle Corporation Inc. USA and M /s. Samuel Jackson Inc. USA detailed in paper will provide insight for users to gain added prosperity

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EXPLORATION OF RESIDUAL HAZARDOUS COMPOUNDS ON COTTON FIBERS

S.Z. Ul Hassan and J. Militky Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic

A new method based on measurement of bio electrical signals caused by enzymatic inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been performed in this study for the detection of organophosphorous pesticides and carbamates being the strong inhibitor of AChE and prevents its normal function of the rapid removal of acetylcholine (Ach). Biosensor Toxicity Analyzer (BTA) equipped with electrochemical sensors was used for the testing and enzyme activity was determined by acetylthiocholine chloride (ATCCl) as enzyme substrate. The monitoring of changes in bio electrical signals caused by the interaction of biological substances and residues were evaluated. Two samples of cotton Giza 86 from Egypt of the crop 2009 /2010 were analyzed. One of them was the classical conventional cotton and the other was organic cotton without utilizing the synthetic pesticides. Cryogenic homogenization was carried out for sample pretreatment and Soxhlet extraction method (SOX) was used with two different solvents; hexane and dichloromethane for both the samples, respectively. The resulted extracts were concentrated and then injected in the BTA and the results were also compared with Gas Chromatography equipped with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).


DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATIC ROLLER GROOVING MACHINE FOR MAKING HELICAL GROOVES ON ROLLERS

USED IN ROLLER GINNING MACHINES

T.S. Manojkumar1, V.G. Arude2 and S.K. Shukla2 1KVK, CPCRI, Kasargod, 2Ginning Training Centre, CIRCOT, Nagpur, India

Double roller gins are the most popular ginning machines used in India. The rollers used in double roller gins become smooth due to friction between the roller and knife during continuous operation. Helical grooves are made on the rollers after every 16 to 20 working hours to make the roller surface rough to facilitate the lint to adhere to the roller at a faster rate. In the present practice of manual grooving with hacksaw, the depth, breadth and spacing of the grooves are not uniform and is a laborious process requiring an hour to groove roller. This results in lower productivity of ginning machines and damages the roller affecting its durability. To overcome these problems an automatic roller grooving machine was developed to make helical grooves on the roller. It consists of main frame, head stock, tail stock and a cutter assembly mounted on a movable trolley. The rotary motion of the roller and forward motion of the trolley was synchronized together with suitable ive mechanism. The rotary motion of the saw blade cutter was achieved with the appropriate mechanism. With this mechanism roller completes the revolution of 270o and the cutter assembly moves forward by the length of the roller. A mechanism consisting of a screw shaft and handle arrangement is used for adjusting the depth of groove. A mechanism consisting of a chuck on a spindle with an indexing arrangement is developed for making consecutive helical grooves at a specified distance parallel to each other. The rotary cutter saw blade was mounted at an angle of 170 to the roller axis on a vertical plane. The machine was successfully tested and its performance was found to be satisfactory. The machine can groove the roller in ten minutes with 18 equally spaced grooves of uniform depth and breadth of 2 mm with accuracy. The re-grooving on the same impression after reduced roller diameter was also successfully carried out. The automatic roller grooving machine can successfully replace the existing manual method of grooving and will avoid the drudgery involved in this operation.



THE EFFECT OF QUARANTINE TREATMENTS ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COTTON AND ITS SUBSEQUENT TEXTILE PROCESSING PERFORMANCE

M. Van Der Sluijs1, F. Berthold2 and V. Bulone3 1CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, 2Swedish Paper and Pulp Institute,

3Swedish Centre for Biomimetic Fibre Engineering, Sweden

Despite its declining market share of the world fibre market, cotton still remains an important fibre for the textile and clothing industry and is a valuable source of income to a large number of countries. Currently cotton is grown in over 60 countries worldwide, with around 31% exported annually for processing in textile mills. With this comes the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering a country which can seriously affect its unique environment and native flora and fauna. Quarantine thus plays a critical role to ensure that a country remains free from serious pests, weeds and diseases present in other parts of the world. Most countries that import cotton fibre insist on a phytosanitary certificate which may require that bales of cotton are treated to ensure that the consignment is free of live insects, soil and other debris. The quarantine treatments used in Australia are either chemical (fumigation), using either ethylene oxide or methyl bromide or radiation (gamma irradiation), using a dose of 25 or 50 kGray. Anecdotal evidence from the Australian cotton industry suggests that the prescribed levels of irradiation affect the quality of the cotton, particularly fibre bundle strength, although there was little direct scientific information available on the extent of the effect on the quality of cotton. In this study we have determined that the fumigation treatments by either ethylene oxide or methyl bromide have little or no significant effect on the physical properties of either Upland or Extra Long Staple cotton fibre. However gamma irradiation, from the radioactive isotope Cobalt 60, does have an effect on the physical properties of the fibre, most notably bundle strength and elongation, but also length uniformity, short fibre content and to a lesser extent length and colour; with these effects becoming more apparent and significant as the dosage strength increased. The data also shows that the moisture regain as well as the dye uptake of the fibre decreases as the dosage strength increases. The study further shows that when these treated cottons are processed into yarns and fabrics that the effects on the physical properties of the cotton fibres also have a significant effect on yarn quality most notably yarn strength and elongation as well as fabric strength and abrasion resistance of a single jersey knitted fabric.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS - ICAC.ORG

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