Crosstalk between cytokinin and ethylene signaling pathways regulates leaf abscission in cotton in response to chemical defoliants.

Abscission is a process that allows plants to shed tissues or organs via cell separation, and occurs throughout the life cycle. Removal of leaves through the use of chemical defoliants is very important for mechanical harvesting of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). However, our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of the defoliation response involved is limited.

High-density linkage map construction and QTL analysis for earliness-related traits in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Background: Gossypium hirsutum L., or upland cotton, is an important renewable resource for textile fiber. To enhance understanding of the genetic basis of cotton earliness, we constructed an intra-specific recombinant inbred line population (RIL) containing 137 lines, and performed linkage map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping.