Salinity stress is one of the primary threats to agricultural crops resulting in impaired crop growth and development. Although cotton is considered as reasonably salt tolerant, it is sensitive to salt stress at some critical stages like germination, flowering, boll formation, resulting in reduced biomass and fiber production. The mechanism of partial ion exclusion (exclusion of Na+ and/or Cl–) in cotton appears to be responsible for the pattern of uptake and accumulation of harmful ions (Na+ and Cl) in tissues of plants exposed to saline conditions. Maintaining high tissue K+/Na+ and Ca2+/Na+ ratios has been proposed as a key selection factor for salt tolerance in cotton. The key adaptation mechanism in cotton under salt stress is excessive sodium exclusion or compartmentation. Among the cultivated species of cotton, Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) exhibit better salt tolerance with good fiber quality traits as compared to most cultivated cotton and it can be used to improve five quality traits and transfer salt tolerance into Upland or American cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) by interspecific introgression. Cotton genetic studies on salt tolerance revealed that the majority of growth, yield, and fiber traits are genetically determined, and controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Molecular markers linked to genes or QTLs affecting key traits have been identified, and they could be utilized as an indirect selection criterion to enhance breeding efficiency through marker-assisted selection (MAS). Transfer of genes for compatible solute, which are an important aspect of ion compartmentation, into salt-sensitive species is, theoretically, a simple strategy to improve tolerance. The expression of particular stress-related genes is involved in plant adaptation to environmental stressors. As a result, enhancing tolerance to salt stress can be achieved by marker assisted selection added with modern gene editing tools can boost the breeding strategies that defend and uphold the structure and function of cellular components. The intent of this review was to recapitulate the advancements in salt screening methods, tolerant germplasm sources and their inheritance, biochemical, morpho-physiological, and molecular characteristics, transgenic approaches, and QTLs for salt tolerance in cotton.
Cotton is an important agro-industrial crop across the globe. Improving the fiber quality and yield potential of cotton are major commercial targets for cotton breeders. The cotton lint yield is computed by multiplying three fundamental yield constituents: average boll weight, boll number per unit ground area, and lint percentage. The cotton species Gossypium arboreum exhibits a wide range of desirable traits, which are absent in the congener Gossypium hirsutum. Four parental lines of G. hirsutum and G. arboreum, with significant differences in boll-related traits, were used to develop the following four F2 populations: Mei Zhongmian × Chimu Heizi (MC), Mei Zhongmian × L-02292-3 (ML), Dixie king × Suyuan 04-44 (DS), and Dixie king × Pamuk (DP), in order to study complex traits, such as boll weight (BW) (g), lint percentage (LP) (%), boll upper width (BUW), boll medium width (BMW), boll lower width (BLU), and boll length (BL) (mm). In segregation populations, extensive phenotypic differences and transgressive segregation were observed. The results show that most of the correlation clusters were negatively associated with boll weight and lint percentage. The positive correlation clusters were observed among boll upper width (BUW), boll medium width (BMW), boll lower width (BLW), and boll length (BL). Seven of the twenty-four extracted principal components had eigenvalues >1. This accounted for 62.2% of the difference between the four F2 populations. Principal component 1 accounted for 15.1% of the overall variability. The variation in principal component 1 was mainly attributed to boll lower width (BLW), boll medium width (BMW), boll upper width (BUW), boll length (BL), and boll weight (BW) of the ML population. The heritability estimates varied between high, medium, and low for various traits among the studied F2 populations. Interestingly, all traits demonstrated low genetic advance, which indicates that non-additive genes controlled these characters and that direct selection for these traits is not beneficial. The outcome of the present investigation will help to develop cotton cultivars with improved boll weight and lint percentage.
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