Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Early Access

Six-parameter genetic analysis of yield and fibre quality traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13977
Submitted
4 February 2026
Published
01-08-2026
Versions

Abstract

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a major commercial crop and an important source of natural fibre, making the understanding of its genetic architecture essential for crop improvement. The present study employed generation mean analysis using six generations (P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁ and BC₂) to investigate the nature of gene action governing yield-contributing and fibre quality traits. Significant scaling tests and chi-square (X2) values for several traits indicated the presence of epistatic gene interactions. The analysis revealed that both additive and non-additive gene effects contributed to trait inheritance, with duplicate epistasis predominating for several economically important traits. These findings suggest that the inheritance of yield and fibre quality traits is complex, involving multiple gene interactions. Therefore, breeding strategies that exploit both additive and non-additive genetic variation, including selection in advanced generations and population improvement approaches, are likely to be more effective for developing superior cotton genotypes.

References

  1. 1. Anonymous. ICAR – All India Coordinated Research Project on Cotton. Annual report 2023–24. 2024.
  2. 2. Lee JA, Fang DD. Cotton as a world crop: origin, history, and current status. In: Fang DD, Percy RG, editors. Cotton. 2nd ed. Madison (WI): American Society of Agronomy; 2015. p. 1–24. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr57.2013.0019
  3. 3. Nadarajan N, Kumresan D, Ponnusamy K, Azhuguvel P. Genetic analysis of fibre quality characters in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). In: Proceedings of the International Seminar on Cotton and its Utilization in the 21st Century; 1999 Dec 10–12; Mumbai, India. Mumbai: CIRCOT; 1999. p. 43.
  4. 4. Patel KG, Patel RB, Patel MI, Kumar V. Genetics of yield, fibre quality and their implication in breeding of interspecific cross derivatives of cotton. J Cotton Res Dev. 2007;21(2):153–7.
  5. 5. Hayman BI. The separation of epistatic from additive and dominance variation in generation means. Heredity. 1958;12:371–90. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1958.36
  6. 6. Soomro ZA, Larik AS, Kumbhar MB, Rajput MI. Genetic analysis of yield and yield components in Gossypium hirsutum L. Pak J Agric Res. 2008;21(1–4):22–7.
  7. 7. Kannan S, Ravikesavan R, Govindaraj M. Genetic analysis for quantitative and quality characters in three single crosses of upland cotton. Not Sci Biol. 2013;5(4):450–3. https://doi.org/10.15835/nsb548323
  8. 8. Nimbalkar RD, Mehetre SS, Shinde GC, Mokate AS. Genetic analysis of seed cotton yield and yield components in intra-specific diploid cotton. J Cotton Res Dev. 2014;28(2):223–6.
  9. 9. Srinivas B, Bhadru D. Estimation of genetic parameters through generation mean analysis for yield and its components in four upland cotton crosses. Electron J Plant Breed. 2015;6(3):792–800.
  10. 10. Al-Hibbiny YIM, Mabrouk AH, Ramadan BM. Generation mean analysis for some quantitative characters in cotton. Menoufia J Plant Prod. 2020;5:129–41. https://doi.org/10.21608/mjppf.2020.171214
  11. 11. Subhashini S, Rajeswari S, Premalatha N, Kalaimagal M, Jeyakumar P, Keerthivarman K. Generation mean analysis study for qualitative and quantitative traits in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Electron J Plant Breed. 2023;14(3):1270–5. https://doi.org/10.37992/2023.1403.133
  12. 12. Orf JH. Breeding, genetics, and production of soybeans. In: Soybeans. 2008. p. 33–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-893997-64-6.50005-6
  13. 13. Brim CA, Stuber CW. Application of genetic male sterility to recurrent selection schemes in soybeans. Crop Sci. 1973;13:528–30. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci1973.0011183X001300050010x
  14. 14. Lewers KS, St Martin SK, Hedges BR, Widrlechner MP, Palmer RG. Hybrid soybean seed production: comparison of three methods. Crop Sci. 1996;36:1560–7. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci1996.0011183X003600060026x
  15. 15. Ali MA, Khan IA, Awan SI, Niaz S. Genetics of fibre quality traits in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Aust J Crop Sci. 2008;2(1):10–7.
  16. 16. Aguado A, Santos BD, Gamane D, Moral LF, Romero F. Gene effects for cotton fiber traits in cotton plant (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under Verticillium conditions. Field Crops Res. 2010;116:209–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2009.12.011
  17. 17. Feng HJ, Li JL, Wang J, Zhang YH, Xu HY, Liu BY, et al. Genetic effects and heterosis of the fibre colour and quality of brown cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Plant Breed. 2011;130:450–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0523.2010.01842.x
  18. 18. Karademir C, Karademir E, Gencer O. Yield and fiber quality of F1 and F2 generations of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under drought stress conditions. Bulg J Agric Sci. 2011;17:795–805.
  19. 19. Naghera YV, Vadodariya KV, Patel RK, Modha KG, Vadodariya GD, Vavdiya PA, et al. Genetic analysis for seed cotton yield and its contributing traits in interspecific crosses of diploid cotton (G. herbaceum × G. arboreum). Electron J Plant Breed. 2021;12(2):563–6. https://doi.org/10.37992/2021.1202.079
  20. 20. Khadi BM, Kulkarni VN, Katageri IS, Soddi RR. Male sterility-new frontiers in cotton breeding. In: Proceedings of the World Cotton Research Conference-2; 1998; Athens, Greece. p. 246–9.
  21. 21. Gamble EE. Gene effects in corn (Zea mays L.). I. Separation and relative importance of gene effects for yield. Can J Plant Sci. 1962;42:339–48. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps62-048
  22. 22. Comstock RE, Robinson HF. The components of genetic variance in populations of biparental progenies and their use in estimating average degree of dominance. Biometrics. 1948;4:254–66. https://doi.org/10.2307/3001412
  23. 23. Comstock RE, Robinson HF. Estimation of average dominance of genes. In: Gowen JW, editor. Heterosis. Ames (IA): Iowa State College Press; 1952. p. 494–515.
  24. 24. Hayes HK, Garber RJ. Synthetic production of high-protein corn in relation to breeding. J Am Soc Agron. 1919;11:309–18. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1919.00021962001100080001x
  25. 25. East EM, Jones DF. Genetic studies on the protein content of maize. Genetics. 1921;5:543–610. https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/5.6.543
  26. 26. Giri RK, Verma SK, Yadav JP. Generation mean analysis for yield and its component traits in a diallel population of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Indian J Agric Res. 2020;54(6):775–80.
  27. 27. Isong A, Balu A, Ahmed A, Mbe JO, Mohammed IG, Isong C, et al. Genetic variance components in cotton by generation mean analysis. Badeggi J Agric Res Environ. 2021;3(2):72–85. https://doi.org/10.35849/BJARE202102017
  28. 28. Mather K, Jinks JL. Biometrical genetics: the study of continuous variation. 2nd ed. London: Chapman and Hall; 1971. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3404-8

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.