Interspecific hybridization has contributed significantly to land diversity, species evolution, and crops’ domestication, including upland cotton, the cultivated form of Gossypium hirsutum. Being the world’s most important fiber crop species, Gossypium hirsutum belongs to the allotetraploid Gossypium consisting of six additional tetraploid species. The lint fiber evolved once in diploid parent A-genome species in the Gossypium’s history and passed on during hybridization of the A-genome with the D-genome and was maintained in subsequent evolution. The domestication history of G. hirsutum involved the collection and use of lint fibers by indigenous people for the purpose of making strings and other textile products; hence, spinnable lint fibers were likely to have evolved under domestication. Crossing with G. barbadense has resulted in the development of multiple genetic lines in contemporary upland cotton. However, in later-generation hybrids between G. hirsutum and other polyploid species, reproductive barriers such as reduced fertility, segregation distortion, and hybrid breakdown are frequently observed, complicating the task of introgressing new, stably inherited allelic variation from inter-specific hybridization. Recent efforts in molecular genetics research have provided insights into the location and effects of QTLs from wild species that are associated with traits important to cotton production. These and future research efforts will undoubtedly provide the tools that can be utilized by plant breeders to access novel genes from wild and domesticated allotetraploid Gossypium for upland cotton improvement.

Sindh University Research Journal - SURJ (Science Series)

Wheat is the main source of carbohydrates and amino acids consumed in the world. Amino acids and other physiological characters were determined in six wheat genotypes viz. IBWSN-1010, IBWSN -1025, TD-1, ESW-9525, Khirman and Chakwal-86 for pot experiment, to evaluate the response of genotypes under water stress at Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA), Tandojam, Sindh, Pakistan, during 2018. Eight different physiological indices (Proline content, glycine-betaine, total sugars, total chlorophyll, nitrate reductase activity (NRA), potassium (K⁺) content, osmotic potential (OP) and relative water content (RWC)) were determined. The variance of analysis shows two-way interaction one with water stress [Control (normal four irrigations) and the other with terminal drought (Soaking dose) having significance at p ≤ 0.05. It was observed that, ESW9525, IBWSN-1010 and IBWSN-1025 exhibited the tolerance followed by, Khirman and Chakwal-86 by maintaining their OP and accumulation of higher proline and glycine-betaine content. Whereas, moderate total soluble sugars were found in these genotypes. However, NRA increased in IBWSN-1010 enhancing tolerance under water stress.