XVI International Botanical Congess

Production of transgenic cotton cultivars has reached the extent of about 50% of the 1999 USA cottonseed market. Broad acceptance of transgenic cultivars will facilitate the next generation of cultivars introgressed with new input as well as output traits. This presentation will focus on a few possibilities for transgenic traits, plus experience gained from breeding transgenic cotton. Herbicide and insect tolerance input traits will be discussed in light of current successes and future needs. Fiber properties such as strength and length uniformity as possible output traits will be assessed in relation to needs of a yarn and textile manufacturing industry in the process of technological change. Finally, 3-yr of experience with breeding transgenic cotton populations will be examined. The transgenic populations descend from one R0 plant as well as those developed through forward and backcrossing strategies. Experience with breeding transgenic populations suggests alternate strategies are necessary to yield progress.