Recent advances and future perspectives in early-maturing cotton research

作者：棉花生物学国家重点实验室 日期：2023-01-17 访问量：

Hang Zhao, Yanli Chen, Ji Liu, Zhi Wang, Fuguang Li, Xiaoyang Ge

New Phytologist

doi:10.1111/nph.18611

Abstract：

Cotton's fundamental requirements for long periods of growth and specific seasonal temperatures limit the global arable areas that can be utilized to cultivate cotton. This constraint can be alleviated by breeding for early-maturing varieties. By delaying the sowing dates without impacting the boll opening time, early-maturing varieties not only mitigate the yield losses brought on by unfavorable weathers in early spring and late autumn, but also helps reducing the competition between cotton and other crops for arable land, thereby optimizing the cropping system. This review presents studies and breeding efforts for early maturing cotton, which efficiently pyramid early maturity, high quality, multi-resistance traits, and suitable plant architecture by leveraging pleiotropic genes. Attempts are also made to summarize our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying early maturation, which involves many pathways such as epigenetic, circadian clock, and hormone signaling pathways. Moreover, new avenues and effective measures are proposed for fine-scale breeding of early maturing crops to ensure the healthy development of the agricultural industry.