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HEAT TOLERANCE IS VARIABLE IN COTTON (GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L.) AND CAN BE EXPLOITED FOR BREEDING OF BETTER YIELDING CULTIVARS UNDER HIGH TEMPERATURE REGIMES

AZEEM IQBAL KHAN^1*, IFTIKHAR AHMAD KHAN AND HAFEEZ AHMAD SADAQAT²

Abstract: Fifty accessions of Gossypium hirsutum L., were evaluated for heat tolerance based on relative cell injury level (RCIL %) and stomatal conductance. Accessions showed highly significant differences for both the parameters and ranged in relative cell injury level between 44.8 to 74.9% and from 58.1 µms^-1 to 120.6 µms^-1 in stomatal conductance. The breeding material (NIAB 111/2 followed by MNH 553) showing the least mean Relative cell injury level also showed the highest stomatal conductance and both these traits showed negative correlation (r= -0.70). The data on the basis of both the above mentioned criteria were used to sort out heat tolerant and sensitive cotton accessions for further breeding program.

¹Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

²Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan