Genetic characterization of the brown lint phenotype for desi cotton ( Gossypium arboreum ) accession PI 408765 (cv. ‘Sanguineum‐1’)

Abstract Cotton fibre can show a range in brown colouration, and these coloured lint fibres can be used for textile production reducing the environmental and human health hazards associated with synthetic dyes; however, coloured cotton cultivars have lower yield potential and reduced lint quality. A greater understanding of the genetics of lint colouration would be useful for the development of improved cultivars. Gossypium arboreum L. accession PI 408765 (cv. ‘Sanguineum‐1’) having the brown lint phenotype was identified from the United States Department Agriculture, National Plant Germplasm System cotton collection and crossed with G. arboreum accessions PI 529729 (cv. ‘Garo Hill’) having white lint and with PI 615733 (cv. ‘Zi‐Hua Guang Zi’) having brown lint. Lint colour data from the F2 populations support a single incomplete dominant gene model for the brown lint phenotype. Additionally, the brown lint phenotypes for PI 408765 and PI 615733 are controlled by two independent genes. Plants in these populations showed a range of brown lint colouration, and these data would be useful to further characterize the mechanisms controlling brown lint development.