Heterosis in yield, endotoxin expression and some physiological parameters in Bt transgenic cotton

Although heterosis in cotton has been studied for many decades, very little is known about the performance of hybrids derived from Bt transgenic cotton parents. In order to known better the heterosis performance, yield and endotoxin expression in 20 hybrids (F₁) and their Bt transgenic parents were examined from 2002 to 2003 (Experiment 1), and the dynamics of source, sink and their ratios in a well-performing hybrid H01 were investigated in 2004 and 2005 (Experiment 2). Results in Experiment 1 showed an average mid-parent heterosis of 21.3% and an over check heterosis of 7.6% in lint yield. Considerable heterosis was also detected in boll numbers, boll size and Bt protein content. Of the 20 hybrids, H01 (K0215 x K643) exhibited the greatest heterosis in yield and Bt protein content in 2002 and 2003, while lint yields of H01 were increased 12.6% and 9.1% in 2004, and 11.7% and 8.9% in 2005, compared with K0215 and K643 in Experiment 2, respectively. Significant heterosis for dry matter accumulation and dry matter allocation to reproductive organs and ratio of fruiting forms/total plant (w/w) were also detected in H01. Sources (leaf area, leaf area index, leaf dry weight per plant and diurnal performance of photosynthesis), sinks (number of fruiting nodes, fruiting forms and dry weight of fruiting forms per plant) and the flow from source to sink were significantly enhanced in H01 relative to its parents. Both total N and Bt protein in H01 were higher than those in its parents. Significant correlation was also found between total N and Bt protein in the main-stem leaves (R² = 0.877**). It is concluded that there existed considerable heterosis in yield, yield components and endotoxin expression in some Bt transgenic hybrids. Yield advantage of hybrid cotton (F₁) over parents can be attributed to improved source, sink and flow, while the enforced expression of Bt genes in hybrid cotton appeared to be due to the enhanced nitrogen level in plants.