Development of Cotton with Gossypol-Free Seed.

While the primary value of a cotton crop is fiber, seed is an important by-product. Cottonseed use is limited by the presence of the toxin gossypol. Cotton plants that do not contain gossypol are highly susceptible to pests. Most recently researchers at Texas A&M University developed cotton plants with gosspyol glands in vegetative organs but without gossypol in the seed. If this trait can be integrated into well adapted cultivars, an immense amount of high-quality protein and oil will become available to consumers.