Identification of SSR Markers Associated with Cotton Fiber Elongation.

The ability of cotton fiber to elongate or stretch during the spinning and weaving process is of great value to textile mill operators. Cotton breeders have typically given little attention to this fiber trait because it was difficult to consistently measure in raw cotton samples and the repeatability of phenotyping plants or breeding lines across growing seasons or locations was low. Recent advancements in the calibration of instruments that measure fiber elongation have improved the prospects of developing breeding programs that will improve this trait. Because the phenotypic expression of fiber elongation is inconsistent, molecular markers associated with fiber elongation are needed. The objective of this study was to identify SSR markers associated with cotton breeding lines with high and low fiber elongation.  Five pedigrees were used in this study. Each pedigree involved lines specifically adapted to West Texas. A high-elongation and a low-elongation population were developed from each pedigree. SSR primers were screened on 100 plants per population. Markers associated with high or low fiber elongation can be used as a selection criterion in West Texas cotton breeding programs when conventional phenotyping is not possible.