Estimates of genetic parameters in diallelic populations of cotton subjected to water stress

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to estimate the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) of cotton genotypes subjected to water stress, based on fiber quality traits. Irrigated cotton plants were grown in the dry season in the Northeast region of Brazil and subjected to 23 days without irrigation at the beginning of the flowering stage. GCA and SCA analyses were based on the partial diallel model. Significant differences were found for GCA for all traits, with predominance of additive effects. The crossing between the genotypes FM-966 and CNPA-5M was the most promising hybrid combination, showing great potential for improvements in fiber quality in environments subjected to water stress, such as the Semiarid region of the Northeast of Brazil.