Nilesh D. Dighe1, A. Forest Robinson2, Alois A. Bell2, C. Wayne Smith1, and David M. Stelly1. (1) Texas A&M University, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, College Station, TX 77843-2474, (2) USDA-ARS, 2765 F&B Road, College Station, TX 77845
Wild diploid species of cotton (Gossypium spp.) exist in different parts of the tropics, but are not fully exploited for fiber-related traits, mainly due to ploidy barriers in making the crosses with tetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), fertility issues, undesirable linkages, and time constraints to develop a potential line or a cultivar. By virtue of overcoming the ploidy barriers, a tri-species hybrid was created involving wild diploid cottons, G. longicalyx Hutchinson & Lee and G. armourianum Keraney, and cultivated tetraploid cotton, G. hirsutum (HLA). This work evaluates, HLA-derived backcrossed generations for potential fiber quality and yield related traits that could have been introgressed from these wild diploids into cultivated upland cotton.