Differential Non-Fiber Agronomic Properties and Biochemically Related Fourier Transform Infrared Spectral Features of Cotton Genotypes with Contrasting Fiber Lengths

Abstract While Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is widely used in agricultural research, linking the FT-IR biochemical features to agronomic properties is quite limited. In this work, three cotton mutants with shorter fiber lengths (Li1, Li2, and liy) and two wild types (DP5690 and MD15) were grown under field conditions to characterize their plant biomass parts at three growth stages for nine non-fiber agronomic properties and six biochemically related FT-IR spectral features. Compared to the wild-type, lower values of protein-related FT-IR bands were observed in leaf blade samples of liy and Li1 but not in Li2. FT-IR spectroscopy coupled with correlation analysis pinpointed that the major growth-retardant factor for Li1 and liy was the alteration of the biomass synthesis/accumulation in leaf blades. Leaf blades should be the samples selected for future protein profiling for plant growth and fiber cell initiation due to the gene modifications in the three mutants.