The objective of this study was to estimate the general combining ability of the parents and specific combining ability of hybrids for earliness traits for line selection. Inheritance and interrelationships of earliness characters were evaluated in a line x tester design. Three intermediate-early-maturing female (lines) which are grown regionally and four early-maturing males (testers) cotton varieties were crossed in 2003. The twelve F(1) and seven parents were planted randomized block design with three replications in 2004. For each earliness trait, general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability and gene effects were estimated using the line x tester method of analysis and also were determined heterosis and narrow sense heritability. Parents and their hybrids (except the monopodial branch) were significant for all the earliness traits studied. Estimates of variance due to GCA and SCA and their ratio revealed predominantly non-additive gene effects for date of first square, date of first flowers and harvested rate of first picking. Among the lines, Ersan 92 and Maras 92 and among the testers Acala Royal was found to be the best general combiners for most of the earliness characters. Four out of twelve crosses namely Ersan 92 x Chirpan 603, Ersan 92 x Acala Maxa, Maras 92 x Acala Royal and Nazilli 87 x Acala Royal were found to be the best crosses for investigated earliness characters.
Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., is a major constraint to cotton production in almost all countries where cotton is cultivated. Developing new cotton cultivars resistant to Verticillium wilt is the most effective and feasible way to combat the problem. Little is known about the inheritance of resistance to Verticillium wilt of cotton, especially that caused by the defoliating (D) and nondefoliating (ND) pathotypes of the soil-borne fungus V. dahliae. The objective of this study was to determine the inheritance of resistance in cotton against both pathotypes of V. dahliae. Crosses were made between the susceptible parent ÔCukurova 1518Õ and each of four resistant parents PAUM 401, PAUM 403, PAUM 405 and PAUM 406 to produce F 2 generations in 2002 and F 2:3 families in 2003. Disease responses of parent and progeny populations to the D and ND pathotypes were scored based on a scale of 0-4 (0, resistant; 4, susceptible). F 2 populations inoculated with the D pathotype showed a 3 : 1 (resistant : susceptible) plant segregation ratio. Tests of F 2:3 families confirmed that resistance was controlled by a single dominant gene. In contrast, analysis of data from F 2 -and F 2 -derived F 3 families suggested that resistance to the ND pathotype is controlled by dominant alleles at two loci.
The influence of three planting dates [midMarch (early-planted), 15 April-15 May (normal-or timely planted) and mid-June (late-planted)] of cotton variety SG 125 on the relationship between populations of Frankliniella flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and the predatory bug, Orius niger (Wolff) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) were investigated in Adana province in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey in 2003 and 2004. To facilitate emergences of cotton seedlings in early-plantings, cotton rows were mulched after sowing. Adult Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) dominated the thrips populations in flowers and colonized the flowers rapidly with high numbers in early-and normal-planted cotton, while adult F. intonsa (Trybom) were significantly more abundant on flowers in late-planted cotton (P B 0.05). The significantly higher but short-lasted larval developments were detected only in late-planted cotton in both years (P B 0.05). Although some scarring and silvering damage on leaves and bolls caused by larval feedings occurred in the late-planted cotton, Frankliniella flower thrips did not have any detrimental effect on plant developments and cotton yields in any of the plantings. Early-and mulchplanted cotton produced significantly higher numbers of fruiting parts and also cotton yield, followed by normalplanted cotton (P B 0.05). We commented that the lower cotton yield in late-planted cotton were due to physiologically caused abscissions of the fruiting parts under unfavourable climatic conditions. O. niger was an effective predatory insect of Frankliniella thrips in the flowers especially in normal-planted cotton, as it was detected in significantly high numbers and thrips-to-predator ratios were lower. It is suggested that early planting of cotton in March could be a good cultural practice in the Mediterranean region.
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