Sixty years of breeding in Cameroon improved fibre but not seed cotton yield
2017
Loison, Romain | Audebert, Alain | Chopart, Jean-Louis | Debaeke, Philippe | Dessauw, Dominique | Gourlot, Jean-Paul | Gozé, Eric | Jean, Janine | Gérardeaux, Edward | Agroécologie et intensification durables des cultures annuelles (UPR AIDA) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad) | Amélioration génétique et adaptation des plantes méditerranéennes et tropicales (UMR AGAP) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro) | AGroécologie, Innovations, teRritoires (AGIR) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT) | Peuplements végétaux et bioagresseurs en milieu tropical (UMR PVBMT) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de La Réunion (UR)
Seed cotton yield in Northern Cameroon has been declining since the 80s despite breeding efforts. In order to evaluate the impact of genetic improvement on this decline, we conducted field experiments in two locations with 10 widely grown cotton cultivars released in Cameroon between 1950 and 2009. The rate of genetic gain (GG) was estimated with a linear regression of the cultivar mean on its year of release (YR). Contrasts between rates of GG observed with different planting dates were estimated and tested. Our results revealed a rate of GG on fibre yield of 3.3 kg/ha/year due to increased ginning out-turn (3.9% and 6.2% in 60 years in Garoua and Maroua, respectively). There was no GG on leaf area index (LAI), radiation use efficiency (RUE), aerial biomass, harvest index and on seed cotton yield. We concluded that cotton breeding efforts in Cameroon have successfully improved cotton fibre yield but there is still some room for seed cotton yield improvement.
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