PJB-2018-446
ASSESSMENT OF DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L. BASED ON MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR MARKERS
AZIZ ULLAH
Abstract
Abstract Drought has very severe effects on crop growth and performance. The normal physiology as well as chemistry of crop plants is disturbed with poor moisture availability. In order to assess the performance of cotton accession under such drought environment present study was planned. For this purpose, 40 cotton genotypes were assessed at two moisture levels i.e. normal (T1) and drought stress (T2). Seeds of forty cotton genotypes were seeded in polythene bags by using split plot under CRD arrangement. Assessment of cotton genotypes was made against different characters at seedling stage (biomass, root length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, shoot length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, lateral root number, relative water content and excised leaf water loss). Data were analyzed by using split plot under CRD analysis of variance. Data were further analyzed by principal component analysis in order to select drought tolerant and sensitive genotypes. The genotypes exhibited highly significant differences for all the parameters under two moisture levels. A significant reduction in almost all characters was shown under water deficit treatment. First three principle components/factors, exhibited more than 1 eigenvalue under both moisture levels. The first two principle components contributed 58.11% and 57.70% cumulative variability in normal and drought condition, respectively. Shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root length, root fresh weight, lateral root number, relative water content and excised leaf water loss were proved to be the most effective selection indicators under water deficit condition at seedling stage. AA-802, IR-3701, NS-121, VH-295, VH-144, NIAB-111, VH-148, FH-142 and AS-01 at normal condition; NIAB-111, VH-144, IR-3701, VH-295, IUB-212, NS-121, SB-149, FH-142 at drought condition performed better and were proved to be drought tolerant. Molecular marker studies were conducted on a small sample of 15 selected cotton genotypes (10 drought tolerant and 5 droughts sensitive). This study revealed that genetic variability was existed in the germplasm and it can be exploited in the future breeding for drought tolerance.
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