Abstract:On the basis of frostless climate characteristic in winter of Nanning, Guangxi Province, the cutting propagation and perennial cultivation of genic male sterile upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘Dong A’), and their heterosis utilization were studied, including growth, development, yield and fiber quality. The results showed that 1-year-old cutting plants flowered earlier and were significantly better at stem diameter, internode length of main stem, boll weight and seed index, than that of the seeding plants, however, the seed yield of the cutting plants were significantly lower than that of the seeding plants, because 23.04% cutting plants derived from boll-bearing branches produced stunty plants, and the cutting plants were all male sterile plants, while the seeding plants were about 50%. There were no significant differences between 2-year-old cutting plants and seeding plants in all the investigated characters, also in yield and fibre quality of F1 hybrids. It suggested that cutting genic male sterile cotton and perennial cultivation used for producing hybrid seeds were feasible, but it must select the vegetative branches for cutting plants.
