Introgression Breeding For Fibre Quality Improvement In Cotton

Cotton is the most important cash crop of India & textile industry contributing 7.0 per cent to our GDP, fetching an export earning besides providing employment in the production, promotion, processing and trade of cotton. Cotton accounts for 45 per cent of the world fibre and supplies 10 per cent world edible oil. First place occupied by cotton among cash crops as it guides the destiny of large section of the farming community as well as that of flourishing textile industry & called by the different names as king of fibers, white gold, natural fibre etc. The four cultivated species, G. hirsutum and G. barbadense are allotetraploids (2n=4x=52), commonly called as new world cotton. G. hirsutum also known as upland cotton, long staple cotton or Mexican cotton, produces 90 per cent of the world's cotton; G. barbadense, also known as Sea Island cotton, extra long staple cotton, American Pima or Egyptian cotton, contributes 8% of the world's cotton; Whereas G. arboreum and G. herbaceum are diploids (2n=2x=26) and commonly called as old world or Asiatic cotton. G. herbaceum, known as Levant cotton, and G. arboreum, known as Tree cotton, together provide 2 per cent of the world's cotton.