**3. Genetic resources of cotton — Content and location**

The details pertaining to all cotton genetic resource holdings and their locations, evaluations and conservation are presented below:

#### **3.1. Wild species and related stocks**

**2.2. Germplasm needs for India's cotton improvement**

21st century are as follows:

92 World Cotton Germplasm Resources

per hectare).

effects on fibre quality.

production of cotton at present.

Germplasm demand depends on various considerations and criteria. Primarily, it depends on the predominant species grown, genetic constitution of the cultivar / hybrid developed for large scale cultivation, the fibre quality requirements of the textile industry and export needs and incidentally various byproduct utility potential. The future attention of the breeders may be more towards the improvement of the *G. hirsutum* cotton because of the changed species composition involving more than 90 per cent area under cultivation of *G. hirsutum* cotton. Some special interest will be shown to the utilization of *G. barbadense* germplasm in cotton improve‐ ment because of the need to develop superior cultivars of *G. barbadense* with extra-long staple coupled with better adaptation to Indian conditions and also in the exploitation of the potential of the *G. hirsutum* x *G. barbadense* F1 commercial hybrids to develop ELS cotton hybrids with high yield potential. Further, the private seed companies holding a major stake in seed business have great role to play in meeting the needs for high quality seeds of superior varieties of the predominant cultivated species preferred by the farmers. The major breeding goals in cotton are based on conventional and changing cropping practices and industry requirements of the

Wide adaptation: agronomic and ecological stability including-Areas of cultivation and their agro-climatic conditions, soil fertility, temperature both day and night temperatures, rainfall characteristics (onset, duration, intensity and occurrence characteristics), adaptation and other factors (like adaptation to various abiotic stresses such as late sowings, droughts, excess rainfall

Response to advanced production technologies: this will include higher fertilizer use, higher planting densities, mechanization of cultivation practices with insect resistant cotton, chemical herbicide use for weed management and other practices like constraints management, manual and machine picking of cotton, double cropping patterns, continuous improvement in yield

Resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses: this includes resistance/tolerance to various kinds of pest and disease reactions and abiotic factors causing serious recurring yield losses and adverse

Cotton requirements for the textile industry: the total quantitative demands of national textile consumption of cotton, extra-factory consumption and export needs (including qualitative needs in terms of share of various staple types like short staple, medium staple, superior medium, long staple and extra-long staple and fibre quality parameters consistent with the desired levels for each of above staple categories besides for various spinning systems).

Improving the utility of cottonseeds: important aspects include elimination of gossypol, increased oil content and improved fatty acid profiles of the oil and protein in seed etc., to

Specialty cotton requirements: these are based on considerations for production of organic cotton and naturally colour-linted cottons with appreciable fibre quality parameters for spinning and weaving, although the market requirement is low at less than 1% of the global

improve the utility value of seed and its nutritional qualities for food and feed.

at critical phases of crop growth and major weather aberrations).

Cotton plant belongs to the family *Malvaceae* and genus *Gossypium* L., which comprises about 50 species, 45 of which are diploid (2n=2x=26) and the remaining 5 being allotetraploid (2n=4x=52) and whose geographical distribution spans the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world [17]. The two 'A' genome diploid and two 'AD' genome allotetraploid species are cultivated for their lint fibre. The four species in cultivation have their botanical and geo‐ graphical races such as (*africanum, acerifolium, wightianum, persicum, and kuljianum under G. herbaceum; races indicum, bengalense, burmanicum, cernuum, sinense, and soudanense under G. arboreum; races latifolium, punctatum, morilli, yucatanense, marie-galante, palmeri and richmondii under G. hirsutum and races barbadense and brasiliense under G. barbadense* as described by Hutchinson, 1951 [3, 17] are available in distinct accessions of germplasm of cotton maintained in gene banks of CICR Nagpur and its regional station Coimbatore and certain other State Agricultural University Centres like UAS Dharwad, GAU Surat, TNAU etc. Intermediary germplasm-genetic stocks and breeding lines developed out of crosses between wild and cultivated species and between cultivated species have been integrated into the maintenance under germplasm for gene banks at CICR and State Agricultural University (SAU) centers and used for crop improvement programmes. The list of *Gossypium* species and those available in India is given in Table 2.



**3.2. Genetic resources of cultivated cottons**

maintained in India are presented in Table 3.

**Primary gene pool**

**Secondary gene pool**

The collections-accessions reportedly available mainly in the CICR Nagpur gene bank [or in its regional stations at Coimbatore especially for *G*. *barbadense* / Sirsa (limited to some diploid cotton accessions] have been described [23, 14, 24, 15]. The total cotton accessions available in India was reported as 7484 in *G. hirsutum*, 263 in *G. barbadense*, 1877 in *G. arboreum* and 530 in *G. herbaceum,* besides wild species and perennials [25]. Additional accessions of *G. hirsutum* and *G. barbadense* acquired after 2011 are to be documented after evaluation and added to the figures; similarly the germplasm additionally available after 2011 for the two diploid species of Asiatic cottons, *G. herbaceum* and *G. arboreum* also have to be incorporated in the total holdings after assessment and characterization. The details of the wild primary, secondary, and tertiary cotton (*Gossypium*) species and the cultivated tetraploid species maintained in several countries has been previously reported [26]. Similar materials of major gene pools including germplasm of the two cultivated tetraploid and the two cultivated diploid species

**Species Genome Collection maintained at CICR**

*G. tomentosum* Nuttal ex Seaman AD3 1 *G. darwinii* Watt AD5 1

*G. anomalum* Wawra B1 1 *G. triphyllum* Hochreutiner B2 1 *G. capitis viridis* Mauer B3 1 *G. barbosanum* Phillips & Clement B3? 1 *G. longicalyx* Hutchinson & Lee F1 1 *G. thurberi* Todaro D1 1 *G. trilobum* (DC) Skovsted D8 1 *G. davidsonii* kellogg D2-d 1 *G. klotschianum* Andersson D2-k 1 *G. armourianum* Kearney D2-1 2 *G. harknessii* Brandigee D2-2 1 *G. aridum* Skovsted D4 1 *G. lobatum* H Gentry D7 1

*G. herbaceum* L. A1 given below *G. arboreum* L. A2 given below

**Nagpur**

Cotton Germplasm in India — New Trends http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58622 95

**Table 2.** Species of *Gossypium* and their availability in India (in cultivation or in Species Gardens):-Taxonomic classification of *Gossypium* L. species [18-22].

#### **3.2. Genetic resources of cultivated cottons**

**Genome Species of** *Gossypium* **(if available**

94 World Cotton Germplasm Resources

D3-k *klotzschianum* Andersson Yes D4 *aridum* Skovsted Yes D5 *raimondii* Ulbrecht Yes

E1 *stocksii* Masters Yes Note:

E2 *somalense* Hutchinson Yes

F1 *longicalyx* Hutchinson & Lee Yes G *australe* Mueller Yes

G1 *bickii* Prokhanov Yes

classification of *Gossypium* L. species [18-22].

E3 *areysianum* Deflers E4 *incanum* Hillcoat E? *ellenbickii* Mauer E? *bricchettii* Vollesen E? *benadirense* Mattei

G *nelsonii* Fryxell

**'Yes')**

C2 *robinsonii* Mueller *rotundifolium* Fryxell D1 *thurbei* Todaro Yes *enthyle* Fryxell

D2-1 *armourianum* Kearney Yes *londonderriense* Fryxell D2-2 *harknessii* Brandigee Yes *marchantii* Fryxell D3-d *davidsonii* Kellog Yes *anapoides* Stewart

D6 *gossypioides* Standley Yes **Allotetraploids 2n = 4x = 52**

D7 *lobatum* Gentry Yes (AD)1 *hirsutum* Linn. Cultivation D8 *trilobum* Skovsted Yes (AD)2 *barbadense* Linn. cultivation

D9 *laxum* Phillips (AD)3 *tomentosum* Nuttal Yes

D11 *schwendimanii* Fryxell (AD)5 *darwinii* Watt. yes

**Table 2.** Species of *Gossypium* and their availability in India (in cultivation or in Species Gardens):-Taxonomic

D10 *turneri* Fryxell (AD)4 *mustelinum* Masters

**Diploid Species 2n = 2x = 26 Diploid Species 2n = 2x = 26** ? *trifurcatum* Vollesen *pilosum* Fryxell C1 *sturtianum* Willis Yes *exiguum* Fryxell C1-n *nandewarense* Dereda Yes *nobile* Fryxell

**Genome Species of** *Gossypium* **(if available**

In addition, 82 perennials, 141 land races *(G. arboreum and G. barbadense), 20* distinct *cernuum* race collections with big boll weight , up to 6.4g and 44.4% GOT are available; also 40 synthetic polyploids, 20 male sterile lines from Israel etc., GMS, TGMS and EGMS lines are also maintained at CICR.

**'Yes')**

The collections-accessions reportedly available mainly in the CICR Nagpur gene bank [or in its regional stations at Coimbatore especially for *G*. *barbadense* / Sirsa (limited to some diploid cotton accessions] have been described [23, 14, 24, 15]. The total cotton accessions available in India was reported as 7484 in *G. hirsutum*, 263 in *G. barbadense*, 1877 in *G. arboreum* and 530 in *G. herbaceum,* besides wild species and perennials [25]. Additional accessions of *G. hirsutum* and *G. barbadense* acquired after 2011 are to be documented after evaluation and added to the figures; similarly the germplasm additionally available after 2011 for the two diploid species of Asiatic cottons, *G. herbaceum* and *G. arboreum* also have to be incorporated in the total holdings after assessment and characterization. The details of the wild primary, secondary, and tertiary cotton (*Gossypium*) species and the cultivated tetraploid species maintained in several countries has been previously reported [26]. Similar materials of major gene pools including germplasm of the two cultivated tetraploid and the two cultivated diploid species maintained in India are presented in Table 3.



the Malwa plateau in Central India representing distinct agro-climate, apart from perennial cottons grown as backyard cottons for house-hold use. Attributes of breeders' interest in the collections included closed boll types in *G. herbaceum* with storm proof nature, big bolls with >6g boll weight, high ginning and high seed number per boll in *G. arboreum* and cold resistance

in *G. hirsutum.* The details of the surveys and collections made are given in Table 4.

1977 CICR/NBPGR ICAR Assam and Meghalaya *Cernuum* types of *G.*

1978 CICR/GPAC ICAR Tinnies tract of Tamil Nadu Diploid cultivated

Pradesh

1984 CICR/NBPGR ICAR Assam and Manipur *G. arboreum* race

1987 NBPGR/CICR ICAR Assam regions *Cernuum* types of *G.*

**Table 4.** Surveys and collections made by the CICR/NBPGR and their description

**4. Funding sources for cotton germplasm activities**

1981 CICR ICAR Malwa plateau of Madhya

ICAR Saurashtra region in Gujarat

and Raichur area in Karnataka

1986 NBPGR ICAR Gujarat western tract *Desi* cotton material Resistance to moisture stress,

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi is the main funding agency for all the germplasm related activities in cotton and the ICAR is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) of the Government of India. The Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) Nagpur, the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) New Delhi and also Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai are national level Institutes under the ICAR to take care of all cotton research related activities including germplasm related matters. The ICAR may seek collaboration with the FAO in germplasm exploration and collection activities as and when such activities are planned. The responsibility for cotton germplasm is mainly vested with the CICR. The CICR has played a pivotal role in germplasm acquisition, maintenance, evaluation and promoting utilization in breeding and other related researches. India is probably the third richest country in general and in certain respects probably the richest in the world in its total holdings and diversity of cotton genetic resources including wild species, cultivated species and even certain perennial genotypes of cotton [15]. The National

1979 CICR/

GPAC/UAS/GAU

**Year Organization Funded by Regions of expedition Material collected Characters observed**

*arboreum*

variants

*cernuum*

*herbaceum*

*G. herbaceum* types and variants

High ginning, big long bolls, loculi retention after

Introgressed types of early

Closed boll types, round boll,

High seed number per boll, long big bolls, high ginning

bursting

*G. hirsutum* Local variants, cold

introductions

Cotton Germplasm in India — New Trends http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58622 97

resistance

types

storm proof types

high yield potential

Big boll, higher boll numbers, abiotic resistance

**Table 3.** Description of the wild primary, secondary, and tertiary cotton (*Gossypium*) species and the germplasm of cultivated cottons of the two cultivated tetraploid and two cultivated diploid cotton species maintained in India

#### **3.3. Germplasm exploration and collection**

The exploration of certain regions in India was carried out by the Germplasm Advisory Committee (GPAC) involving the CICR and the NBPGR in seven expeditions. The areas represented formerly predominant areas of Asiatic cotton cultivation in Southern and Central India, NE Hill regions with *cernuum* types of *G. arboreum* and some *G. hirsutum* cotton under the Malwa plateau in Central India representing distinct agro-climate, apart from perennial cottons grown as backyard cottons for house-hold use. Attributes of breeders' interest in the collections included closed boll types in *G. herbaceum* with storm proof nature, big bolls with >6g boll weight, high ginning and high seed number per boll in *G. arboreum* and cold resistance in *G. hirsutum.* The details of the surveys and collections made are given in Table 4.


**Table 4.** Surveys and collections made by the CICR/NBPGR and their description

**Species Genome Collection maintained at CICR**

*G. gossypioides* (Ulbrich) Standley D5 1 *G. raimondii* Ulbrich D6 1

*G. sturtianum* J.H Wills C1 1 *G. stocksii* Master E1 1 *G. somalense* Hutchinson E2 1 *G. australe* F. Mueller G 2 *G. bickii* Prokanov G1 1

Germplasm 7484 Cultivars 110 Land races/wild stocks 7 Cytogenetic stocks/mutants 32/1 Total 7633

Germplasm 530 Cultivars 3 Land races / wild stocks 1/0 Total 534

Germplasm and all other accessions 1877

Germplasm and all other accessions 530

**Table 3.** Description of the wild primary, secondary, and tertiary cotton (*Gossypium*) species and the germplasm of cultivated cottons of the two cultivated tetraploid and two cultivated diploid cotton species maintained in India

The exploration of certain regions in India was carried out by the Germplasm Advisory Committee (GPAC) involving the CICR and the NBPGR in seven expeditions. The areas represented formerly predominant areas of Asiatic cotton cultivation in Southern and Central India, NE Hill regions with *cernuum* types of *G. arboreum* and some *G. hirsutum* cotton under

**Tertiary gene pool**

96 World Cotton Germplasm Resources

**Cultivated tetraploid species**

**Cultivated diploid species**

*G. arboreum* L.

*G. herbaceum* L.

*G. hirsutum* L. AD1

*G. barbadense* L. AD2

**3.3. Germplasm exploration and collection**

**Nagpur**

## **4. Funding sources for cotton germplasm activities**

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi is the main funding agency for all the germplasm related activities in cotton and the ICAR is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) of the Government of India. The Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) Nagpur, the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) New Delhi and also Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai are national level Institutes under the ICAR to take care of all cotton research related activities including germplasm related matters. The ICAR may seek collaboration with the FAO in germplasm exploration and collection activities as and when such activities are planned. The responsibility for cotton germplasm is mainly vested with the CICR. The CICR has played a pivotal role in germplasm acquisition, maintenance, evaluation and promoting utilization in breeding and other related researches.

India is probably the third richest country in general and in certain respects probably the richest in the world in its total holdings and diversity of cotton genetic resources including wild species, cultivated species and even certain perennial genotypes of cotton [15]. The National Gene Bank of Cotton in India is located at the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur including its regional station at Coimbatore. The total collection represents almost entirely cultivated accessions of *G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. arboreum,* and *G. herbaceum*. In addition, the collection also consists of race stock accessions of each cultivated species, 26 wild species, and 32 synthetic introgressed derivatives.

Common and standard procedures were also provided for recording observations with comparable uniformity over locations. Provision was made for recording data on all quality attributes of fibre (technological characters) as well as cottonseed and biomass, harvest index

Cotton Germplasm in India — New Trends http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58622 99

**Figure 2.** Germplasm Index Card (GIC) designed by CICR Nagpur for recording data on cotton germplasm

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and other instruments [23].

The Germplasm Index Card designed by the CICR was used as the basis for germplasm cataloguing. The Catalogue of Cotton Genetic Resources was compiled based on germplasm data gathered all over the country, particularly at CICR Nagpur, Maharashtra state (Central zone) and its regional centres at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu (Southern zone) and Sirsa in Haryana state (Northern zone) representing all the three major cotton growing zones of the country. Data for special applications were also recorded by the departments of Pathology, Entomology, Soil Science Agronomy, Physiology, Biochemistry etc. Fibre quality data were generated by the Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai and its regional units and that for oil content and seed oil index were obtained at the CICR by using

Close collaboration for data recording and evaluation was ensured between the CICR, the CIRCOT, Mumbai, the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) New Delhi, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi and all the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) in cotton growing states of the country as partners with the CICR as

**6.2. Cotton genetic resources catalogue**

etc. (Figure 2).

High level of coordination is being achieved in germplasm exchange and utilization with the world level International Institute for Plant Genetic Resources and national level institutions (NBPGR, CICR, CIRCOT and SAUs), The availability of equipment and techniques for mass screening for several parameters in the laboratory, in the fields and glass houses, has made possible to generate precise data in various environments and enabled to have a new-look and re-look at the germplasm for various breeding and gene deployment strategies. It also helped to develop varieties and hybrids for meeting the demands of the farmers, the textiles industry for various end-uses and to overcome inter-fibre competition based on consumer preferences and the cottonseed utilization and biomass utilization industries. Now more information has been accumulated to improve cottonseed yield and quality profile useful for agro-based industrial exploitation. This is to meet human needs for edible oil, protein and cellulose to contribute to enhanced food and nutritional security and also develop various by-products for use as animal feed and further processing in ancillary industries [27, 10].

#### **5. Sharing of germplasm resources**

Sharing of germplasm may take place as per Government of India policies and based on intercountry government protocols and exchange programmes on mutual basis of agreements, if any. Within the country, the germplasm is readily available for public sector research institu‐ tions carrying out research on cotton and related activities.
