Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

The present study comprised of “Selection of G. hirsutum genotypes for superior fibre properties along with Bollgard II transgenes from segregating population” with the aim to develope G hirsurum straight varieties with the Bollgard II version. The work was initiated at Cotton Research Station, Nanded (under jurisdiction of Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhnai, Maharashtra State). The experiment was laid in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The experiment comprises 152 qualitative promising genotypes with positive Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab transgene, sown and evaluated for quality fibre parameters. Fibre quality from pooled samples across three replications on upper half mean length (mm), fibre strength (g/tex), micronaire value (µg/inch), uniformity index (%) and fibre elongation (%) was recorded. The significant differences were observed for the all the fibre parameters among the 152 genotypes. Out of 152 genotypes tested, for fibre length UHML (mm) the 45 genotypes observed long staple length (between 27.5 mm to 32.0 mm), 102 genotypes observed medium long staple length (between 25.0 mm to 27.5 mm) and Five genotypes observed medium staple length (between 20.5 mm to 24.9). The range of micronaire (µg/inch) was observed from 2.9 (µg/inch) (S 6) to 4.9 (µg/inch) (S 24). Very fine micronaire value (below 3.0 µg/inch) was observed by S 6 (2.9 µg/inch), 85 genotypes observed fine miconaire (between 3.0 to 3.9 µg/inch) and 66 genotypes observed average micronaire value (between 4.0 to 4.9 µg/inch). Significant mean differences were observed for bundle strength (g/tex) in the testing genotypes. The range of bundle strength (g/tex) was observed from 23.1 (g/tex) to 32.5 (g/tex). One genotype showed good bundle strength S 87 (29.2 g/tex) (between 29.1 g/tex to 32.5 g/tex) among all the test genotypes. The 120 genotypes observed average bundle strength (g/tex) (between 25.1 to 29.0 g/tex) and 31 genotypes observed weak bundle strength (g/tex) (between 20.1 to 25.0 g/tex). The range of uniformity index (%) was observed from 79 (%) (S 143) to 86 (%) (S 36 and S 80). Two genotype S 36 and S 80 both showed excellent above 85% uniformity index among all the test genotypes. 117 genotypes observed average uniformity index (between 79% to 83%) and 33 genotypes observed good uniformity index (%) (between 83.1 to 85%). fibre elongation (%) was observed from 4.3 (%) (S 129) to 6.3 (%) (S 14). Eight genotypes viz., S 14 (6.3%), S 27 (6.2%), S 30 (6.1%), S 57 (6.1%), S 58 (6.0%), S 108 (6.0%), S 110 (6.0%) and S 111 (6.0%) showed excellent fibre elongation (range 6.0% and above) and 98 genotypes observed good elongation (between 5.0% to 5.9%) of fibre among all the test genotypes. In this experiment long staple length genotypes S 87 (30 mm), S 80 (29.6 mm), S 138 (29.2 mm), S 152 (29.2 mm) and S127 (29.1 mm) having micronaire value S6 (2.9 µg/inch), S43 (3.0 µg/inch), S 8 and S49 (both 3.1 µg/inch) and bundle strength of S 87 (29.2 g/tex) and S80 (28.8 g/tex) observed promising for utilizing as parental source of BG II converted straight lines of G. hirsutum in further BG II hybrid development programme.