Progress in Breeding Cotton for Heliothis Resistance: Results of Regional Tests

Jack C. McCarty


 
ABSTRACT

The bollworm-budworm complex, Heliothis zea (Boddie) and H. virescens (F.) is an economic pest-of cotton, Gossypium spp. throughout much of the U.S. Cotton Belt. Research has been underway for a number of years to develop effective plant resistance to this complex. As a result of this research, plant breeders have developed high gossypol (terpenoid) strains and others with unknown factors for bollworm-budworm resistance. With the development of these strains, a need arose for agronomic and resistance evaluation across several locations.

A few strains were evaluated cooperatively by regional participants in 1977. This led to the establishment of a cooperative regional test for bollworm-budworm resistant strains. In 1978, 10 strains were grown at 8 locations where Heliothis were controlled. Thirteen strains were grown in 1982 at 9 locations where Heliothis were controlled and at 2 locations which had a natural or an artificially induced infestation of Heliothis. By 1983, the test had 13 strains being grown at 11 locations where Heliothis were controlled and 4 locations with an infestation of Heliothis. The test was grown at 9 locations where Heliothis were controlled during both 1984 and 1985 and at 3 and 1 locations in these two years, respectively, where there was a Heliothis infestation. Fifteen and 11 strains were grown during 1984 and 1985, respectively. The test locations ranged from Brownsville, TX to Portageville, MO to Rocky Mount, NC. The strains grown during 1978 and 1982-1985 were from 12 public or private cotton research programs. Stoneville 213, a commercial cultivar, was grown at each location each year as a standard.

The highest yielding four strains averaged over locations produced lint yields equal to 86, 91, 92, 105 and 114% of Stoneville 213 in 1978 and 1982-85, respectively, when Heliothis were controlled. When Heliothis were not controlled, the lint yields of these strains, as a percent of Stoneville 213, were 116, 103, 144 and 267% for 1982-1985, respectively. In 1984 and 1985 the best four strains exceeded Stoneville 213 in yield by 5 and 14% when Heliothis were controlled and by 44 and 167% when Heliothis were not controlled. Thus significant progress has been made in developing strains which are tolerant to Heliothis and high in yield.



Reprinted from 1987 Proceedings: Beltwide Cotton Production Research Conferences pg. 97
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998