1559 Genetic Resource Enhancement for Fibre traits in Cotton ( Gossypium spp) Through Inter-specific

Cotton is an important agricultural commodity, providing income to millions of farmers in industrial and developing countries. Technological changes in the textile industry mean that priorities concerning fibre properties have also changed and cotton breeders have concentrated on improvement in fibre traits to meet the demands of industry. Because of adoption of rotor spinning that converts raw fibre into yarns at a speed of 150 mmin-1 as compared to 20m min-1 of ring spinning, the requirements of textile industries of raw cotton have changed. According to these new norms, fibre strength is a greater determinant of yarn quality. India is the only country where all four of the cultivated species of cotton are grown for commerce. Gossypium hirsutum cultivars and hybrids have been grown to meet the demands of medium to superior medium staple cotton requirement followed by diploid desi cottons, G.arboreum and G.herbaceum, for medium to short staple cotton, while the demand for long and extra-long staple cottons have been met by growing interspecific hybrids (G. hirsutum x G. barbadense: DCH32, Varalaxmi, etc) and G. barbadense cultivars (e.g., Suvin,Sujata). Most of the genotypes popularly under cultivation in all staples of cotton are not meeting the requirement of fibre strength of new industrial norms. W