Cotton
Cotton plant is the most important source of natural fiber. The plant also provides seeds, linters, and hulls that are used for food, feed, and several other diverse applications. Traditionally, the cultivation of cotton crop has relied heavily on the use
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Cotton Keerti S. Rathore
15.1
Introduction
The cotton plant is the most important source of natural fiber and has met the clothing needs of mankind for several millennia. This plant plays a major role in the economy and social structure of many countries, and in fact, has helped shape the history of some parts of the world. Although many other natural and synthetic fibers have been available, advantages related to the cost of production, many unique features offered by cotton lint, and the growing world population will ensure a continued increase in the demand for cotton. Not only will the tools offered by biotechnology help us to achieve the needed increase in the production of this crop, this technology will also be used to confer properties to the fiber that are difficult or impossible to achieve by traditional breeding. The increasing demand for food, feed, and energy will also help the cottonseed to achieve a better status than merely a byproduct of lint production. Again, there is tremendous scope for improving the quality of cottonseed through biotechnology. Cotton is grown in over 80, mostly developing countries where it is a cash crop for many poor farmers. With its share of more than 90% of the worldwide acreage, the tetraploid Gossypium hirsutum or upland cotton is the predominant cultivated species. The other tetraploid species, G. barbadense or Egyptian cotton, is also grown in some parts of the world for its prized extra-long staple. Because of their low productivity and poor quality fiber, the two Old World, diploid species, G. arboreum and G. herbaceum, are cultivated only on limited acreage in some parts of Africa and Asia. China is the largest producer of cotton, followed by India and the United States. In 2006, the global area under cotton cultivation was estimated to be approximately 34.3 million hectares (Mha) leading to 25 million
K.S. Rathore Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology and Department of Soil and Crop Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2123, USA e-mail: [email protected]
F. Kempken and C. Jung (eds.), Genetic Modification of Plants, Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry 64, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-02391-0_15, # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010
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metric tonnes (MMT) of fiber production (FAO 2008). Cotton is grown primarily for its fiber, however, the plant also produces large quantities of seeds. Worldwide, 44 MMT of cottonseed was produced in the year 2006 (FAO 2008). A portion of this abundant agricultural byproduct is used to obtain edible oil; however, a large share of the cottonseed/cottonseed meal is simply used as a feed for the ruminant animals. The presence of a toxic terpenoid, gossypol, renders the protein-rich seed unfit for consumption by monogastric animals and prevents its direct use as food. Elimination of this toxin from the seed will ensure a more efficient utilization of this resource and help fulfill the growing, worldwide demand for food and feed.
15.2
Importance and Potential Impact of Genetic
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