Effects of Grafting Cotton on Verticillium Wilt Resistance,Yield and Fiber Quality of Cotton

Objective This study aimed at investigating the effects of grafting cotton on Verticillium wilt resistance,yield and fiber quality of cotton,and farther discussing the feasibility of controlling cotton Verticillium wilt using grafting.Method Two sea island cotton(Gossypium barbadense L.) lines(resistant to Verticillium dahliae),Hai 7124 and Pima 90,were selected as rootstocks.The scions were two upland cotton(G.hirsutum) cultivars Xiangzamian 21(tolerant to Verticillium dahliae) and Jimian 11(susceptible to Verticillium dahliae).The four grafting combinations were completed and planted in the naturally infected cotton field,and the data of cotton Verticillium wilt,yield and fiber quality were investigated in grafting and non-grafting cotton types.Result Compared to the scion controls,the severity of cotton Verticillium wilt on the grafting cotton was significantly reduced,and the resistance to cotton Verticillium wilt of some grafting combinations was not significantly different from the resistant rootstock controls.The plant height,number of sympodial branches/plant,number of total bolls/m2,seed cotton yield and lint yield of grafting cotton were higher than that of the scion controls,respectively.Grafting nearly had no effects on growth,lint,boll weight and fiber quality of the majority of grafting combinations.Conclusion This study showed that grafting could be used as an effective method for control cotton Verticillium wilt and increase yield in continuous cropping cotton field.