Wild and cultivated cotton species: comparative studies on plant biochemistry, soil biology, and soil nutrient status.

Context: Among the Gossypium species, wild cotton species (WCS) serve as a genetic reservoir of diverse unique traits that are useful for genetic improvement of cultivated cotton species (CCS). Although cotton-breeding strategies largely use phenotypic and genotypic data for parent selection, plant biochemistry and soil biology have not been considered because of the absence of such data. Aims: To study the differences in WCS and CCS on plant biochemistry, soil biology, and soil nutrient status. Methods: A comparative analysis was conducted on 10 WCS (Gossypium anomalum , G. aridum , G. australe , G. barbosanum , G. capitis-viridis , G. davidsonii , G. raimondii , G. somalense , G. stocksii , G. thurberi) and four CCS (G. arboreum , G. herbaceum , G. hirsutum , and G. barbadense). Key results: CCS had a higher soil basal respiration rate and microbial biomass carbon, whereas WCS had higher glomalin, phosphatase, β-glucosidase, and soil dehydrogenase activities. WCS had higher shoot and root carbohydrates, whereas CCS recorded higher proteins in the shoots and roots. WCS exhibited significantly higher peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, catalase, and L-phenylalanine ammonia lyase activities in the shoots and roots compared with CCS, whereas CCS had higher phenolic content. In terms of soil nutrients, WCS had higher organic carbon, macro, secondary, and micronutrients concentrations than CCS. Conclusions: WCS exhibited higher plant defense enzyme activity and soil nutrient status than did CCS. Implications: Our study has provided a greater understanding on the biochemical and soil biological differences between CCS and WCS, eventually supplementing the cotton database and support cotton breeders in selecting unique traits for crop improvement programmes. Wild cotton species (WCS) serve as a reservoir of unique traits, useful to cotton breeders for genetic improvement in cultivated cotton species (CCS). Although breeding programs traditionally use phenotypic information in selecting parents, they overlook plant/soil attributes because of absence of data. A comparative analysis was conducted to understand the differences in 10 WCS and 4 CCS. WCS had higher plant defense enzyme activities than did CCS. Our results supplement the cotton database, and benefit cotton breeders in parent selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]