Breeding Better Cotton Heat-tolerant cotton flower. (Compare to
heat-sensitive/heat-sterile flower in D1016-2.) The heat-
tolerant flower (shown here) exhibits long filaments and normal
pollen development, producing fluffy-appearing pollen sacs. In
contrast, the heat-sterile/heat-sensitive flower (shown in
D1016-2) exhibits shortened filaments, flat pollen sacs, and no
pollen grains. People expect a lot from cotton. Consumers want
durable, comfortable fabrics. Producers want easy-to-manufacture
textiles. And growers want hardy, thriving plants. Uniting these
traits in individual cultivars is the goal of ARS cotton
breeders at the U.S. Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center at
Maricopa, Arizona. In the center’s Plant Physiology and Genetics
Research Unit, plant geneticist Richard Percy—now with the ARS
Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center at College Station,
Texas—has bred new cotton lines with qualities to please
growers, fabric manufacturers, and consumers. The Heat Is On
Pima—an extra-long-staple cot