Enhancing salt tolerance and yield potential in cotton: insights from physiological responses, genetic variability, and heterosis

Authors

MUHAMMAD MUBASHAR ZAFARFollow
ABDUL RAZZAQFollow
ZUNAIRA ANWARFollow
AQSA IJAZFollow
MUHAMMAD ZAHIDFollow
MUHAMMAD SHAHID IQBALFollow
GHULAM FARIDFollow
MAHMOUD F. SELEIMANFollow
RANA QAMMAR UZ ZAMANFollow
ABDUR RAUFFollow
XUEFEI JIANGFollow

Abstract

Soil salinity is a growing global concern, necessitating the development of salt-tolerant cotton cultivars to enhance the utilization of salt-affected soils and boost crop productivity. Salt tolerance is regulated by a complex interplay of genetic and physiological factors involving multiple genes. To investigate the genetic basis of salt stress tolerance, eight parental genotypes (four lines and four testers) and their 16 hybrid combinations were evaluated under normal and salt stress conditions (15 dS m⁻¹). Data were collected on various traits including the plant height (PH), number of bolls per plant (NBP), boll weight (BW), lint percentage (LP), seed cotton yield (SCY), fiber length (FL), fiber strength (FS), fiber fineness (FF), chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids (CAR), total soluble proteins (TSP), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), potassium ions (K⁺), sodium ions (Na⁺), and K⁺ to Na⁺ ratio (K⁺/Na⁺). The box plot analysis indicated that the median values of the morphological and fiber traits were reduced under salt stress, with the exception of the FF and Na⁺, which increased. Antioxidant molecule levels were significantly elevated against salt stress, while the ionic and physiological traits decreased. The line × tester analysis revealed significant genetic variation among the genotypes for all the traits, with the testers contributing more to the variation than the lines and their interactions. Nonadditive gene action predominated for most of the morphological, physiochemical, and ionic traits, as indicated by the higher specific combining ability (SCA) effects compared to the general combining ability (GCA) effects under both conditions. Notably, the genotypes, Barani-333 and JSQ-White Hold, were identified as good general combiners. Cross combinations FBG-222 × Barani-222, Hatf-3 × CCB-17, and CCB-22 × JSQ-White Hold, exhibited desirable SCA effects and superior parent heterosis for most of the traits under both conditions. The identified parents and cross combinations showed potential for breeding programs aimed at developing salt-tolerant cultivars.

Author ORCID Identifier

Muhammad Mubashar ZAFAR: 0000-0002-5664-138X

ABDUL RAZZAQ: 0000-0002-0106-0481

ZUNAIRA ANWAR: 0000-0003-0155-3902

AQSA IJAZ: 0009-0001-7526-732X

MUHAMMAD ZAHID: 0009-0001-3293-0902

MUHAMMAD IQBAL: 0000-0001-5458-1179

GHULAM FARID: 0000-0002-0019-9131

MAHMOUD SELEIMAN: 0000-0003-4779-9414

RANA ZAMAN: 0009-0008-1958-8971

ABDUR RAUF: 0000-0002-5113-8400

XUEFEI JIANG: 0000-0002-0607-3847

DOI

10.55730/1300-011X.3252

Keywords

Cotton, salt stress, line × tester, general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), heterosis

First Page

110

Last Page

124

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

ZAFAR, MUHAMMAD MUBASHAR; RAZZAQ, ABDUL; ANWAR, ZUNAIRA; IJAZ, AQSA; ZAHID, MUHAMMAD; IQBAL, MUHAMMAD SHAHID; FARID, GHULAM; SELEIMAN, MAHMOUD F.; ZAMAN, RANA QAMMAR UZ; RAUF, ABDUR; and JIANG, XUEFEI (2025) "Enhancing salt tolerance and yield potential in cotton: insights from physiological responses, genetic variability, and heterosis," Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry: Vol. 49: No. 1, Article 9. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-011X.3252
Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/agriculture/vol49/iss1/9