Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In many countries, including the United States and Uzbekistan, cotton is one of the most important crops, writes the US Crop Society. In the last twenty years, there have been many cases of cotton wilt in the fields of California and Uzbekistan, causing the plant to dry out. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Innovation.

US and Uzbek scientists are conducting joint research to solve this problem. At the same time, studies were carried out to find a solution aimed at increasing the resistance of cotton to the fungus.

“Uzbekistan and US researchers have identified disease-resistant varieties and crossed them to create a wilt-resistant cotton variety,” says Mauricio Ulloa, a genetic researcher at the USDA. “I can happily say that our efforts were not in vain.”

Scientists from the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan participate in these studies, the results are published in the scientific publication “Journal of Plant Registrations” of the American Plant Society.

Researchers have created germplasm for new cotton lines by crossing fungus-resistant varieties grown in Uzbekistan and the United States. Germplasm is also referred to as a genetic resource and helps breeders expand crop varieties.

Three new lines - PSSJ-FRP01, PSSJ-FRP02 and PSSJ-FRP03 - showed resistance to wilt. Although each of them has different characteristics, they are characterized by disease resistance and good fiber quality.

Wilt fungus usually damages the root of the plant, dries out the stem and leaves, and destroys the crop.

These new lines are a genetic resource and our scientists are working on developing new varieties. Scientists at the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics are currently testing a new variety derived from these lines.