14 new cotton varieties resistant to Verticillium wilt successfully bred
On September 1, the Institute of Agricultural Products Processing of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the **Institute of Plant Protection of the Academy of Agricultural Reclamation Sciences, and Henan Zhongyuan Zhongnong Seed Co., Ltd. jointly hosted** an on-site demonstration meeting for disease-resistant, high-yield cotton. After more than 20 years of research, the research group headed by Dai Xiaofeng, director of the Institute of Agricultural Products Processing of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, bred 14 new cotton varieties resistant to Verticillium wilt, including Zhongzhimian No. 2, Xinluzhong No. 46 and Xinzhiza No. 2. Over 10 years, these have been promoted on a cumulative area of more than 79.9 million mu, generating economic benefits of 15.859 billion yuan.
Verticillium wilt of cotton has been occurring severely in China, causing annual yield losses of more than 15%; in 2003, the affected area reached 3 million hectares. Breeding for resistance to Verticillium wilt is a worldwide challenge. "Of these 14 varieties, 7 have passed national approval and 7 have passed provincial-level approval. Xinzhi No. 5 was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2016 as a national leading cotton variety, while Zhongzhimian No. 2 and Xinzhiza No. 2 have been designated as leading varieties by multiple provinces for many years," said Dai Xiaofeng.
Experts including Zhu Yuxian, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Yu Shuxun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believe that the project's disease resistance identification technology and the breeding technology for new cotton varieties resistant to Verticillium wilt are at the international leading level. In 2013, Dai Xiaofeng was awarded the "Golden Kangaroo Invention Award" by the international peer organization WORLD INNOVATION FORUM. In addition to Dai Xiaofeng, academician Yuan Longping and researcher Zhao Jiuran, creator of the standard DNA fingerprint database for maize, have also received this award in China.