title: Marker-assisted breeding as next-generation strategy for genetic improvement of productivity and quality: can it be realized in cotton?
abstract: The dawdling development in genetic improvement of cotton with conventional breeding program is chiefly due to lack of complete knowledge on and precise manipulation of fiber productivity and quality. Naturally available cotton continues to be a resource for the upcoming breeding program, and contemporary technologies to exploit the available natural variation are outlined in this paper for further improvement of fiber. Particularly emphasis is given to application, obstacles, and perspectives of marker-assisted breeding since it appears to be more promising in manipulating novel genes that are available in the cotton germplasm. Deployment of system quantitative genetics in marker-assisted breeding program would be essential to realize its role in cotton. At the same time, role of genetic engineering and in vitro mutagenesis cannot be ruled out in genetic improvement of cotton.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India.
authors.forename: N Manikanda
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Boopathi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thiyagu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Urbi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santhoshkumar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gopikrishnan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aravind
authors.forename: Gat
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Swapnashri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ravikesavan