New Cotton Varities for Thai Farmers

Abstract

DORAS Project initiated in 1991 a cotton-breeding program in Thailand. After six years of breeding, the first wave of new variety creations in now available. The varieties were obtained by transferring into and agronomically well-adapted Thai genetic base (SSR 60) characters which improve its economic potential (gossypol free, coloured lint) or its agronomic quality (okra leaf, frego bract). These are the following varieties: DORA11 (frego bract, highly productive, good earliness), DORA21 (glandless seed, productive with a good tolerance to shedding, good fiber quality), DORA 31 (okra leaf, frego bract and good technological traits), DORA 41 (brown coloured fiber). DORA 11 may be adopted by farmer in the next years. Assessment of the other genotypes still needs additional experiments. As far as seed production of glandless varieties, like DORA 21, is concerned, avoidance of genetic mixing demands well coordinated procedure.