Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, achieved a historic milestone by being the first to use the wild cotton species Gossypium armourianum to develop resistance against Cotton Leaf Curl Disease (CLCuD) in American cotton. This breakthrough, expected to boost cotton production in North India, was celebrated in a meeting led by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal.
The university acknowledged key cotton scientists, including Dr. Pankaj Rathore, Principal Cotton Breeder; Dr. Dharminder Pathak, Principal Cotton Breeder; Dr. Satnam Singh, Senior Entomologist; Dr. Suneet Pandher, Senior Entomologist and Dr. Harish Kumar, Extension Specialist; with university officers also in attendance.
Expressing immense pride in the team’s dedication and innovation, Dr. Gosal stated, “Utilizing Gossypium armourianum to combat CLCuD reflects our researchers’ perseverance over the last 20 years. Cultivating CLCuD-resistant American cotton in North India can ensure high and stable production, similar to the impact of transgenic Bt-cotton.” He also highlighted CLCuD’s severity, threatening cotton production in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Pakistan, and spreading to China.
Dr. Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research at PAU, highlighted the global significance of this achievement. “India, Pakistan, and China produce nearly half of the world’s cotton, with 85% of cotton farmers residing there. Managing CLCuD is crucial for sustainable cotton production globally. Our success in developing CLCuD-resistant cotton will profoundly impact millions of farmers,” Dr. Dhatt observed.
Emphasizing CLCuD’s economic impact, Dr. V.S. Sohu, Head of Plant Breeding and Genetics, explained that the whitefly-transmitted virus caused USD 5 billion losses in Pakistan (1992-1997) and a 40% yield reduction in India. It also degrades cotton fibre quality, the crop’s primary economic product.
Having traced the journey of the innovation right from its conceptualization, Dr. Pankaj Rathore informed that CLCuD starts with vein thickening on young leaves, progressing to a network of veins. Symptoms include leaf curling and cup-shaped outgrowths, leading to stunted plants with fewer bolls. He also discussed the challenges in developing resistant varieties.
Dr. Dharminder Pathak explained, “Resistance breakdown is common in crop breeding. PAU’s 20-year wide-hybridization program incorporated CLCuD resistance genes from wild cotton into American cotton, overcoming various barriers to develop elite resistant breeding lines.”
Towards the end, Dr. Gosal once again commended the team and urged all the researchers to emulate their perseverance, striving for impactful advancements. Together, we can overcome challenges and elevate Punjab Agricultural University as a global leader in agricultural research, he concluded.
Read more: https://www.pau.edu/index.php?_act=manageEvent&DO=viewEventDetail&dataE=datae&intID=9431
