The Evaluation and Inheritance of Several Traits Associated with Lint Percent In Cotton

The relationship of within-boll components, lint percent and yield is not well defined.  A better understanding of the relationship and how the traits react to selection should provide tools and methods the plant breeder could use to improve the efficiency of identifying superior lines with increased yield and enhanced fiber quality in early generations. 

Ten elite and obsolete cultivars were selected to be intercrossed in a half-diallel mating scheme.  A parental evaluation was conducted during the first year of the study, parents, F₂ populations and IPS were evaluated the second year, and parents, F₂ populations and F_2:4 lines were evaluated the third year.  The characteristics measured were within-boll components, yield, agronomic properties and fiber properties.  Divergent selection was used to select the top and bottom 10% of plants for lint percent from each F₂ population.  These data were used to correlate F₂ individual plant data with F_2:4 line data.