Meixia Zhu

School of Landscape and Ecological Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
Author    Correspondence author
Cotton Genomics and Genetics, 2024, Vol. 15, No. 1   
Received: 31 Dec., 2023    Accepted: 09 Feb., 2024    Published: 28 Feb., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Gossypium, commonly known as cotton, includes approximately 50 species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, excluding Europe. Among these, Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense are the most widely cultivated, significantly contributing to global cotton production. The evolutionary history of Gossypium is marked by complex processes such as polyploidization and domestication, which have led to the development of species with superior fiber quality and resilience to environmental stresses. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the global distribution of Gossypium species and their agricultural implications. It aims to summarize current knowledge on the biogeography and evolutionary history of Gossypium species; investigate the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying fiber quality and environmental resilience in different Gossypium species; discuss the agricultural implications of these findings, particularly in the context of breeding strategies for improved cotton varieties; and identify gaps in the current research to suggest future directions for studies on Gossypium species. By synthesizing information from multiple studies, this research provides important theoretical foundations for a holistic understanding of the global distribution of Gossypium species and their agricultural significance.

Gossypium; Cotton cultivation; Agricultural implications; Global distribution; Genetic diversity