Hina Firdous1,2, Amer Habib1, Huma Abbas1,* and Muhammad Asim Jamil2
1State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; 2Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: huma.abbas@uaf.edu.pk
This study aimed to investigate the genetic variability of six elite cotton genotypes for agronomic and fiber quality traits under cotton leaf curl virus disease (CLCuD) pressure using multivariate approaches. The selected genotypes were developed by different research institutes across Pakistan and evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. For each genotype, the cotton leaf curl virus disease index (CLCVDI%) was estimated and observations were recorded on plant height, monopodial and sympodial branches, number of bolls, boll weight, seed cotton yield, lint percentage, lint index, seeds per boll, seed index, fiber length, fiber strength and fiber fineness. Correlation analysis indicated that CLCVDI% was negatively associated with seed cotton yield, number of bolls, boll weight, lint index, seed index, and fiber quality attributes. In contrast, seed cotton yield exhibited strong positive associations with sympodial branches, lint percentage, number of bolls, boll weight, lint index, seeds per boll, seed index, and fiber fineness, but a significant negative relationship with CLCVDI%, fiber length, and monopodial branches. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) further identified MNH88 and FH2015 as superior genotypes, demonstrating enhanced yield potential and fiber quality under CLCuD stress, thereby suggesting greater tolerance to disease pressure.