Selection for Nucleus Seed Preparation of Commercial Cotton Cultivar of Sahel

The present study was included two distinct experiments of single-plants and lines selection and preparation of new combination of commercial cotton cultivar of Sahel, and also comparison the new and old combinations of Sahel lines. In the first experiment, using selection method based on yield, earliness and morphological characteristics of the Sahel cultivar, and also Verticilium tolerance, selection of single-plants and lines was carried out during 2007 to 2009 in Cotton Research Stations of Hashemabad in Gorgan and Karkandeh in Kordkuy. Every year in laboratory studies on selected single-plants based on the lint percentage and qualitative characteristics of fibers, undesirable plants were removed and the selected single-plants were formed selection lines each year and therefore the nucleus seeds of Sahel cultivar in the next year. At the end of the third year, it was observed an improvement in quality traits of single selected plants. Also, every year seeds from five different lines combinations of Sahel along with the control were compared in post control experiment in randomized complete block design with four replications at the research stations of Hashemabad, Karkandeh and Bayekola. Basis of analysis of variance, among traits such as plant height, sympodia and monopodia number and length, boll number and weight, earliness, yield and lint percent, were not observed significant differences in the majority of regions and years, which this shall explain lack of difference between the different seed combinations of Sahel cultivar and accuracy of annual selection operations Thus, during three years selection on commercial cotton cultivar of Sahel, while maintaining of produced seed characteristics, significant progress was observed in cultivar improvement that further investigation could lead to the introduction of a new cultivar.