Research and practice on shuttle breeding between Henan and Xinjiang based on elite cotton germplasm from China's...

To address the bottleneck of a narrow genetic base and the difficulty of concurrently improving high yield and superior fiber quality in Xinjiang cotton, which has resulted from long-term reliance on local germplasm, this study introduced excellent germplasm resources from China's mainland. A total of 16 hybrid populations were developed by crossing these mainland resources with the superior Xinjiang cultivar Xinluzhong 51. Through shuttle breeding between Henan and Xinjiang (referred to as Yu-Jiang shuttle breeding) and multi-ecological alternating selection, the yield potential and stability of the derived lines were precisely evaluated using the GGE biplot method. The results demonstrated that the Yu-Jiang shuttle breeding strategy significantly increased lint yield, with an average annual increase of 54.143 kg/hm² from 2018 to 2025 (regression equation: y=54.143x+2,440.7, R²=0.827), confirming its continuous improvement effect on yield. Furthermore, novel lines represented by M3 were successfully selected, exhibiting high and stable yields alongside superior fiber quality. Specifically, fiber length increased by 1.6 mm, and the micronaire grade improved from C1 to B1, achieving synchronous optimization of both yield and quality traits. Correlation analysis revealed that lint yield was significantly positively correlated with planting density, bolls per plant, and lint percentage (P<0.05), but negatively correlated with boll weight, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing planting density and plant architecture improvement.In conclusion, utilizing mainland germplasm resources for Yu-Jiang shuttle breeding effectively broadens the genetic base of Xinjiang cotton and enhances environmental adaptability. This approach represents an effective technical pathway for overcoming regional breeding bottlenecks and concurrently improving lint yield and fiber quality.