**Acknowledgements**

The total collection exceeding 10, 000 accessions including small additions in the last couple of years represent 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 introgression derivatives. Long-term storage of cultivated species are managed by NBPGR in New Delhi and maintained at minus 20°C. A working collection of all cultivated accessions, excluding *G. barbadense* accessions, is stored at Nagpur and maintained at 4°C. *G. barbadense* accessions are stored at Coimbatore and maintained. Wild species and race stock working collections are exclusively maintained at Nagpur *in vivo* under natural field conditions as a species garden. Seed of germplasm acces‐ sions are renewed by planned seed increases that include forced self-pollination. The acces‐ sions are multiplied in phases to keep fresh seeds without losing viability for a period of three years under short term storage and for frequent use by the breeders and other scientists.

Regular collection expeditions were organized by the National Germplasm Centre in collab‐ oration with the NBPGR in various parts of the country. In recent years, plant explorations have covered a large part of India, and several plant exploration trips are planned through in the future. These include exploration of Mizoram, Sundarban (West Bengal), Assam (Kamroop hills and Jayanti hills), Meghalaya (East Garo Hills), and Tripura. The collection has also grown through exchange with the United States of America, France, Uzbekistan, and Czechoslovakia. The FAO-organized germplasm expeditions also provide opportunities to expand the

Evaluation and characterization of cultivated germplasm accessions are performed based on cotton descriptors and index card developed by the CICR. Evaluation and characterization of cultivated germplasm include morphological, taxonomical, yield, and yield-contributing characters, fiber quality parameters, and reaction to biotic and abiotic stresses. Basic studies are also performed on the structural variation of gossypol and nectar glands, pollen grains, stigma receptivity, cytogenetic studies, and cross-compatibility among various species (wild and cultivated). Accessions of *G. hirsutum* and *G. arboreum* are evaluated in multi-location evaluation trials conducted at three locations within India (Sirsa, North zone-irrigated; Nagpur, Central zone-rain-fed; and Coimbatore, South zone (irrigated). Accessions are evaluated for yield, boll weight, ginning out-turn fiber properties, and reaction to pests and diseases, and promising genotypes are distributed to breeders and researchers at various cotton research stations and government Institutions within India for research purposes only. Germplasm accession data are maintained by the NBPGR and data are freely available only to Indian government organizations. Official germplasm seed requests are made through NBPGR and a special application form is required to procure exotic germplasm. The NBPGR then determines if a Material Transfer Agreement is already available with the requesting country and makes the necessary correspondence. The seed material is subsequently distrib‐ uted through NBPGR and Central Institute for Cotton Research on the basis of request. New germplasm is also being generated by the CICR and other SAUs and frequently added to the National Gene Bank at CICR. There are gaps, which are sought to be augmented by intercountry exchanges, explorations and from own development through breeding efforts. There is till now no International Institute for Cotton Research under the CGIAR system. In the era

germplasm collection.

114 World Cotton Germplasm Resources

The authors are grateful to anonymous reviewers of the manuscript and the book editor for critically going through the manuscript and offering valuable suggestions and editorial corrections for improving the quality and content of this chapter.
