Metabolomics-Driven Optimization of Plant Architecture and Yield in Cotton

Cotton is an important economic crop in the world, and its yield is closely related to plant type structure. Traditional breeding methods have certain limitations in the coordinated optimization of plant type and yield. In recent years, the rise of metabolomics has provided a new perspective for analyzing the molecular mechanism of cotton growth and development. This study comprehensively analyzed the changes in key metabolites in the process of cotton plant type and yield formation, explored the mechanism of carbon and nitrogen metabolism, energy metabolism and signal transduction substances at different developmental stages, and identified several metabolic markers closely related to excellent plant type and high-yield traits through the integration of phenotypic and transcriptomic data. The research results not only deepened the understanding of metabolite regulation of plant type and yield, but also provided a theoretical basis for the construction of a precision breeding system based on metabolic information. This study hopes to promote the application of metabolomics in cotton genetic improvement and precision agriculture, and achieve the coordinated breeding goals of plant type optimization and yield improvement.