Degree of Whiteness Among World Cotton Cultivars.

Increased US export of cotton and global competition necessitates that plant breeders continue to improved fiber properties of upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. Whiter cotton cultivars are desirable due to decreased processing cost and improved yarn quality.  TAM B182-33 ELS (Extra Long Staple) germplasm line of upland cotton, and Tamcot CAMD-E, a short staple obsolete cultivar were crossed with 36 cultivars representing unique germplasm pools from China (12 cultivars), north Africa (9 cultivars), south Africa (8 cultivars), and seven cultivars representing distinct germplasm pools within the United States.  Parents and F1s were grown in College Station, TX in a North Carolina II design during the summer in 2010. Seedcotton was harvested by hand, deburred and allowed to dry in limited light.  Cotton samples were ginned on a laboratory gin, separated into 2 gram subsamples and color measurements were taken using a Konica-Minolta CR-310 reflectance colorimeter.  Absolute color measurements and color differences were obtained in five color systems (XYZ, Yxy, L*a*b*, L C H and Hunter Lab).  Color measurements on the parents and F1s, especially in L*a*b*, will be discussed.