Nondestructive Measurements of Cottonseed Nutritional Trait Diversity in the US National Cotton Germplasm Collection
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Crop Science Society of America. Recent studies have suggested that cottonseed (Gossypium spp.) has the potential to contribute to the effort against world hunger, particularly by providing a high-quality protein source. This report analyzed the diversity in protein content and other seed quality factors in the U.S. National Cotton Germplasm Collection. Nine genomes (one tetraploid and eight diploid) and 33 species (five tetraploid and 28 diploid) were surveyed in this examination of 2256 accessions. A novel nondestructive nuclear magnetic resonance technique was applied to measure oil and protein content, seed indices were calculated, and these data were associated with molecular marker information. Oil content ranged from 8 to 27%, protein values ranged from 10 to 36%, and seed index was lowest at 1 g per 100 seeds and extended up to 18 g per 100 seeds. Most of the range in values for these traits resided within G. hirsutum L. and G. barbadense L.; thus implying that variability for cottonseed quality can be introduced with relative ease in current breeding programs. The diploid genomes generally had extremely low values for oil, protein, and seed index. Molecular marker information indicated that chromosome 21 was likely associated with oil content. Understanding how these seed quality factors vary independently and in relation to each other will allow us to better select parents for breeding programs, and identifying associations with molecular markers may help us enhance progress through marker-assisted selection approaches.
