Role of Breeding and Biotechnology in Sustainable Cotton Production

Owing to its unique features, cotton is a primary source of natural fiber. Being a raw material for agro-based industries, cotton plays a major role in the socio-economic development of several countries. Additionally, cotton also serves as a major cash crop for more than 20 million farmers around the globe. Despite the accessibility to different synthetic alternatives and substitutes, cotton has been a valuable source of fiber owing to its low cost of production and unique features. Due to the increasing world population, the consumption of cotton is increasing day by day. To meet the demands of the masses, cotton production should be increased with better quality. Cotton is affected by several biotic and abiotic stresses. The most detrimental diseases are bacterial blight, Texas root rot, cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), blue disease, and some strains of Verticillium and Fusarium wilt. Among abiotic stresses, abiotic factors such as heat, salinity, drought, and waterlogging affect cotton growth, yield, and development. Genetic improvements in cotton have been made through breeding and biotechnology. Conventional methods like integrated nutrients, weeds, and pest management have been used to save cotton from different constraints. Conventional breeding approaches were found very promising in improving cotton against different biotic and abiotic stress as well as enhancing cotton fiber yield and quality. Although with the advent of high-throughput technologies such as recombinant DNA technology, cotton was the first commercially adopted transgenic plant, developed for herbicide resistance. Transgenic approaches have been successfully used for insect resistance, herbicide resistance, disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and improved fiber quality. The most detrimental diseases are bacterial blight, Texas root rot, cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), blue disease, and some strains of Verticillium and Fusarium wilt. Conventional methods like integrated nutrients, weeds, and pest management have been used to save cotton from different constraints. Conventional breeding approaches were found very promising in improving cotton against different biotic and abiotic stress as well as enhancing cotton fiber yield and quality. The cotton plant is attacked by a wide variety of insects as it produces sweet nectar which attracts insects and, it is attacked by a fungus that deteriorates its root system. Significant progress has been made toward increased yield an