Identification of Cotton Germplasm and Molecular Markers for Salt Tolerance

Salinity is one of the major problems encountered for sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid areas including the southwest of the United States. Salinity stress causes a series of negative effects on cotton growth, yield, and fiber quality. Therefore in order to increase crop yield in saline conditions, it is crucial to develop salt-tolerant crops. However, information on salt tolerance in cotton germplasm and associated molecular markers is currently lacking. This report presents results on screening 146 backcrossed inbred lines population developed from interspecific crosses between Upland and Pima cotton based on seed germination and early seedling growth. Also, salt responsive gene markers  are being developed and screened for the population.