The Republic of Uzbekistan, whose extensive plantations supplied nearly all of the cotton (Gossypium barbadense L. and G.hirsutum L.) needs of the Soviet Union, has a long history of cotton research, genetic improvement, and production. Uzbekistan currently ranks fifth in total world cotton production, with more than one million metric tons of cotton fiber produced per year, and is second in total world cotton export, surpassed only by the U.S. Accordingly, the Uzbek Scientific Research Institute of Cotton Breeding and Seed Production, located in Tashkent Province, the Republic of Uzbekistan, is the largest and most comprehensive cotton research station in Central Asia. Its history, scientific activities, and germplasm resources are described here.
