THE IMPACT OF ABIOTIC STRESSES ON YIELD TRAITS OF G. BARBADENSE L. COTTON GENOTYPES

Gossypium barbadense L., valued for its superior fiber quality, faces significant yield challenges under abiotic stresses such as water deficiency and salinity, particularly in arid and saline-prone regions. This study evaluated the impact of these stresses on the yield traits—number of opened bolls, total number of bolls, and seed cotton weight per boll—of ten G. Barbadense L. genotypes under controlled optimal, water-deficient (2800–3000 m³/ha irrigation), and saline conditions using lysimeters. Results revealed that both stresses significantly reduced boll numbers, with environmental effects outweighing genotypic differences (P < 0.0002), while seed cotton weight per boll remained relatively stable (P = 0.07). Genotypes T-2024 and T-2090 exhibited notable resilience, with T-2024 maintaining higher boll counts under salinity and T-2090 excelling under water deficiency. These findings highlight genotypic variability in stress tolerance and underscore the potential of T-2024 and T-2090 for breeding programs aimed at enhancing yield stability in stress-prone environments. This research provides critical insights for developing stress-tolerant G. Barbadense varieties, supporting sustainable cotton production amid climate change challenges.