Evaluation of Fiber and Yam from Three Cotton Fiber Mutant Lines

Abstract

Analysis of the biochemical factors required for improved cotton fiber growth is aided by a collection of near isogenic mutants. The cotton mutants (Gossypium hir sutum L. Texas Marker-1 background ) tested in this study include immature fiber, pilose, and naked seed. Fiber physical properties for each mutant were determined for two years of greenhouse-grown and one year of field-grown cotton plants. Yarn spun from 50-gram fiber samples was subjected to physical properties testing. A com parison of open-end and ring spinning methods was made for two of the fiber samples. The comparison of nep content in yam and fiber between the mutants and Texas Marker-1 control lines shows one mutant (naked seed) with a substantial reduction in biological nep content. Another mutant, pilose, has a substantial increase in bio logical neps over the control fiber. Quantitative data on fiber physical properties ob tained from this study support the mostly descriptive information previously reported for these mutants lines.