New insight into drought-resilient cotton
02/08/2024
The interdisciplinary team of researchers grew 22 varieties of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Arizona’s low desert region, subjecting half the plants to drought conditions. Two key regulatory genes were found to play a role in helping cotton plants manage water stress while maintaining fibre production.
“We were excited to discover this direct link between stress tolerance and fibre yield maintenance,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Andrew Nelson, an Assistant Professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute. “It appears that over time, cotton plants have evolved this regulatory mechanism to help them cope with dry conditions while still producing the fibres that are so economically important.”
“Regulation of a single inositol 1-phosphate synthase homeologue by HSFA6B contributes to fibre yield maintenance under drought conditions in upland cotton”, the report, was funded by the National Science Foundation and by Cotton Incorporated. It can be accessed here.
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