Effects of inter-species chromosome substitution on cottonseed mineral and protein nutrition profiles

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the major species of cotton due to its high yield and good adaptability. With much less land area, pima cotton (G. barbadense L.) is also cultivated for its superior fibers. Existing research efforts have mainly focused on introgression of fiber quality traits from pima into upland cotton, with few on the seed mineral and protein contents. In this research, we used a multi-parent advanced generation inter-crossing (MAGIC) population that was derived from crosses between 18 pima cotton chromosome substitution lines and 3 Upland cultivars to understand the profile of the seed mineral and protein contents. We evaluated the contents of mineral and protein in the seeds of 21 parental and their 177 progenies. The profile patterns of these parameters were not always the same in the individual cottonseed samples. The contents of Ca, K, and B were different among both parental and progeny lines. In addition, the contents of Cu and Mn were also different (p <= .05) among the 21 parents. In contrast, there were four additional elements (Mg, Fe, Zn, and Ni) differing significantly in content among the progeny samples. These observations implied that chromosome substitution had impacts on the profile of the mineral nutrients in cottonseed. The data identifying the top five cotton lines with the highest and lowest contents of each element and protein provide a base for researchers and breeders to select better and/or preferred seed quality, in addition to the assurance of lint yield and quality, for further development.