Use of fiber and fuzz mutants to detect QTL for yield components, seed, and fiber traits of upland cotton

This research detected QTL or molecular markers associated with yield, fiber, and seed traits within multiple fuzz and fiber loci genetic backgrounds. Two F-2 populations from crosses of MD17, a fuzzless-lintless line containing three fuzzless loci, N (1) , n (2) and a postulated n (3) , with line 181, fuzzless-linted and with FM966, a fuzzy-linted cultivar, were used. QTL explaining 68.3 (population with FM966) to 87.1% (population with 181) of the phenotypic variation for lint percentage and 62.8% (population with 181) for lint index were detected in the vicinity of BNL3482-138 on chromosome 26. Single marker regression analyses indicated STV79-108, on the long arm of chromosome 12 had significant association with lint percentage (R (2) 26.7%), lint index (R (2) 30.6%), embryo protein percentage (R (2) 15.4%) and micronaire (R (2) 20.0%). Two-locus epistatic interactions were also observed. Results from this research will facilitate further understanding the complex mechanisms of yield, fiber, and seed traits of cotton.