International collaboration works to breed fungus-resistant cotton

Credit: Mauricio Ulloa

Each flower on a cotton plant produces a cotton boll, which is where the fiber is housed and harvested from. Since cotton is such an important crop both in the United States and Uzbekistan, the researchers of this study worked together to find a solution to reduce the vulnerability of the cotton crop to the fungus, Fusarium wilt race 4.

« International collaboration works to breed fungus-resistant cotton

Credit: Mauricio Ulloa

The typical American Pima cotton is a variety of cotton grown in the United States. In this study, the research teams developed new Pima cotton germplasm lines resistant to the Fusarium wilt race 4 disease by crossing varieties from Uzbekistan and the USDA’s cotton germplasm collections.

« International collaboration works to breed fungus-resistant cotton

Credit: Mauricio Ulloa

A fungus called Fusarium wilt race 4 is known to impact Pima cotton production. The fungus first infects the roots, which causes a long, dark continuous stripe to appear in the tap root, called root staining. Notice the dark stripe along this infected cotton root, a negative impact caused by Fusarium wilt race 4.

« International collaboration works to breed fungus-resistant cotton

Credit: Mauricio Ulloa

Like many crops, Pima cotton flowers before producing cotton. Pima cotton has a fruiting cluster habit.

« International collaboration works to breed fungus-resistant cotton

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