Breeding Cotton for Herbicide Resistance

Weeds are a continual problem in farmers’ fields because they compete with crops for sunlight, water, and nutrients, deteriorate quality, and reduce yield. Cotton is the main cash crop grown to meet the fiber requirements as a raw material for the textile industry, cotton seed as food for humans as oil, and feed for animals as a seed cake. The cotton sector is characterized by low yields as compared with other nations. Various biotic and abiotic challenges contributing to low yield and weeds are some of the major factors which can reduce yield up to 30%. Therefore, weed control remains a main concern for cotton growers. Cotton growers and the scientific community are working very hard to minimize the risks of weeds using various conventional and latest breeding technologies. Herbicides are chemical formulations used to kill unwanted plants, and the use of herbicides is the most effective method for weed control. There are two major groups of herbicides i.e. selective which could discriminate between crops and weeds, while no such recognition is made by non-selective herbicides and these are more effective. Hence, it is essential to develop a cotton plant which can resist the damaging effects of herbicides. In this chapter, the history of herbicide use, types, and mode of action and different strategies for the development of herbicide-resistant cotton are discussed in brief.