GENETIC ANALYSIS OF EARLINESS CHARACTERS AT FIRST PICKING IN UPLAND COTTON

Abstract

The percentage of crop harvest is an important earliness factor. This character was measured by percentages of number of bolls, seed cotton, lint and seed harvested at first picking in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). High heritabilities were estimated for all observed characters. Results of the scaling tests have shown that additive-dominance model was valid for the percentages of number of bolls and the seed cotton harvested. The percentage of number of bolls harvested at first picking appeared to be the best pre-harvest selection criterion in a cotton breeding program, due to easiness in its determination.