Effect of cotton seed priming on Bt gene expression and other traits

Abstract

Cotton is the most significant fiber producing crop in the world. Cotton belongs to family Malvaceae and genus Gossypium. Globally, Pakistan is the major producer and exporter of cotton. Cotton production is affected by many factors and one of them is the non-availability of good quality seed. Low quality seed has direct impact on poor germination that prompts low harvest. Seed priming is a process in which plant germination and yield related parameters can be increased. Keeping in view the importance of cotton seed priming, the present study was designed to check the effect of halopriming treatments on three cotton cultivars as compared to control. For this purpose, each cotton seeds were primed with 1% and 2 % KCL and K2SO4 for six hours and air-dried seeds were sown in the field. Later on, seed germination response was checked while at crop maturity stage, other yield related parameters of primed plants and control were taken. Meanwhile, effect of priming on Cry1Ac gene expression was also checked in these cultivars. The results of halopriming on cotton morphological data revealed that germination percentage, plant height, number of bolls per plant, number of seeds per boll, boll weight, seed cotton yield and GOT were high at 1% K2SO4 followed by 2% KCl. While on the other hand, Cry1Ac gene expression was also high at 1% K2SO4 followed by 2% KCL in IUB-2013 cultivar followed by NIAB-878B and FH-142 respectively. It has been depicted from this study that potassium salts i.e. 1% K2SO4 and 2% KCL have positively contributed in cottonseed germination, morphological parameters and Bt gene expression in the tested cultivars as compared to 2% K2SO4, 1% KCL treatments and control. To the best of our knowledge, halopriming effect on Bt gene expression is not reported yet. For the first time we have checked Bt gene expression in cotton cultivars against halopriming.