ZM81 genome assembly

This work presents a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of a novel brown cotton cultivar, Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘Zhongmiansuo 81’ (ZM81), which we believe represents a valuable and timely contribution to the plant genomics community. As China's first genetically modified conventional deep brown cotton cultivar, ZM81 exhibits stable pigmentation, enhanced fiber quality, and disease tolerance, making its genome an essential reference for studying natural fiber pigmentation—a trait of considerable economic and ecological relevance for sustainable textile production.