This study aimed to investigate the correlation between economically valuable and anatomically defined traits of leaves and seed coats in cotton (Gossypium spp.). Comparative anatomical analyses took place on ovules at four developmental stages (1–4 weeks after flowering), mature seed coats (60 days after flowering), and leaf blades of the promising cultivar Genofond-2, its wild parental species G. thurberi and G. raimondii, and the reference cultivar Tashkent-1. Additionally, an examination of aphid-resistant accessions of G. arboreum subsp. obtusifolium and G. arboreum subspecies nanking ensued. Quantitative parameters of integument and mesophyll tissues (n = 10 replicates per genotype per stage) entailed assessment using one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s HSD post-hoc test (P < 0.05). The cultivar Genofond-2 retained significantly thicker and harder seed coats (total mature thickness = 305.0 ± 31.2 μm) inherited from wild donors, resulting in reduced fiber contamination during ginning (P < 0.01). Leaf cuticle thickness exceeded the diagnostic threshold of 0.85 μm in all studied species, with resistant G. arboreum accessions displaying an additional columnar parenchyma layer. Pearson correlation analysis confirmed a significant positive relationship between seed coat hardness and lignification (r = 0.89, P < 0.001) and between leaf cuticle thickness and aphid resistance (r = 0.82, P < 0.01). These ontogenetic anatomical traits represent reliable morphological markers for selecting genotypes with superior fiber quality and enhanced resistance to piercing-sucking insects, facilitating the efficient use of wild genetic resources in cotton improvement. Statistical processing of quantitative data, as carried out, used the methods of S.G. Big-Anova (2024) and A.V. Vaganova (2023).
Gossypium, cotton anatomy, seed coat structure, leaf mesophyll, ovule development, aphid resistance, fiber quality
The cultivar Genofond-2 retains anatomical traits from wild donor species with reduced fiber contamination during ginning. Leaf cuticle thickness serves as a reliable diagnostic marker for aphid resistance in cotton breeding programs.