Cotton Variety Improvement Overview

Support of basic and applied research continues with an overall aim to improve lint yield, fiber quality, and stress tolerance while reducing input costs in a sustainable production system. Sequencing of progenitor genomes Gossypium raimondii (2012) and Gossypium arboreum (2014) paved the way for a draft genome sequence of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) in early 2015. Knowledge gleaned from these sequences will help scientists identify genes to improve desirable agronomic traits. An important step in understanding the association between genomic knowledge and field level performance is the rapidly growing area of high through-put phenotyping (HTP). Both tractor and drone based HTP systems allow vast amounts of plant data to be collected as never before. The bridging of cutting edge research from several disciplines provides a solid foundation for the continued genetic improvement of cotton.

2017 Cotton Breeders’ Tour Presentations 

Presentations that were made during the 2017 Cotton Breeders Tour.

Cotton Breeders’ Tour Archives 

The Cotton Breeders’ Tour is held biennially in one of five cotton growing regions of the US.

State Variety Trial Data 

Web links to the 17 states that conduct cotton variety trials across the US Cotton Belt

Breeder Fiber Sample Information 

Sample Packaging and Labeling, and Packing Enclosure Form

Sample Project Summaries 

An overview of results to date and future direction of cotton improvement.