Evaluation of Elite Desi Cotton Genotypes for Drought Tolerance

Cotton, popularly known as ¿King of Fibre¿, is one of the most important global cash crops which is extensively cultivated throughout the country. Among abiotic stresses, cotton is severely affected by drought. Drought limits fiber yield as well as lint quality of cotton significantly. Therefore, a study was carried out to understand the effect of drought on morpho- physiological and biochemical traits in 50 elite desi cotton (G. arboreum L.) genotypes. The experiment was conducted in two environments viz. irrigated and rainfed, with three replications in RBD design at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar (Haryana) during Kharif 2021. The observations were recorded on eight morphological, six physiological and three biochemical traits. Based on drought tolerance indices viz. YSI (Yield Stability Index) and DSI (Drought Susceptibility Index), five genotypes namely P 557, DA-4/02, HD 453, HD 459 and FFS-1 were found most drought tolerant genotype among all the genotypes and these may be used in future cotton breeding programs to develop higher yielding and drought tolerant varieties.