Identification of Cotton Germplasm and Molecular Markers for Drought Tolerance

Drought stress is one of the production problems facing sustainable agriculture in semi-arid or arid areas including the southwest of the United States. Developing and growing drought tolerant cotton cultivars can increase yield and improve fiber quality. However, information on drought tolerant germplasm and associated molecular markers is currently lacking. This report presents results on screening 146 backcrossed inbred lines developed from interspecific crosses between Upland and Pima cotton based on a replicated field study in two locations and two years. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for drought tolerance are being identified.