Breeding for cotton leaf curl disease resistance in Upland cotton

Cotton leaf curl disease is the most devastating disease of Upland cotton in North-Western India and Pakistan. It is caused by whitefly transmitted Gemini viruses. Genetic resistance to CLCuD though promising, is lacking in the Upland cotton germplasm. However, several sources of CLCuD resistance in the related cotton species are available. We have introgressed and mapped CLCuD resistance genes from G. armourianum (a wild D-genome nonprogenitor species) and a Synthetic cotton polyploid. The breeding methodology followed for introgression of CLCuD resistance in G. hirsutum has been discussed. Pyramiding of CLCuD resistance from diverse donors will ensure durable resistance, hence contributing to sustainable cotton production.