Diallel Crosses of Cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.) from Burkina Faso and Texas A&M AgriLife Research—1-Analysis of Agronomic Traits to Improve Elite Varieties from Burkina Faso

Cotton breeding progress stagnation, changing production conditions, and continued high fiber quality demands are challenging the cotton industry in Burkina Faso. The F1 populations developed by half diallel crosses between germplasm from Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Burkina Faso were evaluated for several agronomic traits. The aim was to identify the most promising parents and hybrids for further varietal improvement. Three AgriLife parents helped improve the most important targeted traits. Parent 15-3-416 reduced days to 50% flowering (−3.14 days) and shortened plant height (−22.25 cm) in hybrids while 16-2-216FQ improved their fiber percentage (+2.68%). Hybrids with Burkina Faso elite cultivar E32 as male parent and the three best AgriLife parents as the females showed good specific combining ability (SCA). FK37 × 15-10-610-7 and FK64 × 15-10-610-7 showed heterosis for earliness by reducing, respectively, days to 50% flowering (−4.27 days) or days to 50% boll opening (−3.95 days) below parent means. E32 × 16-2-216FQ and FK64 × 16-2-216FQ increased fiber percentage by +1.75% and +2.06%, respectively. FK64 × 15-3-416 increased seed index (SI) (+0.62 g) and fiber percentage (+1.19%), while maintaining other traits at the parents’ average levels. E32 × 15-3-416 showed the most heterosis for desired improvements, reducing days to 50% flowering (−4) and increasing the number of bolls/vegetative branch (+3.05), number of bolls/fruiting branch (+6.38), number of bolls/plant (+13.49), boll weight (+1.53 g), SI (+0.40 g), and fiber percentage (+1.18%). Inter-program crosses show the potential to enhance genetic diversity in Burkina Faso’s breeding program. Subsequent selection methods must be carefully applied considering the Burkina Faso breeding objectives for future cultivars