{"id":13153,"date":"2022-06-08T07:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T11:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences-new\/news\/improving-cotton-genetics\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T09:55:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T14:55:24","slug":"improving-cotton-genetics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/news\/improving-cotton-genetics\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Cotton Genetics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Vasu Kuraparthy<\/a>, a professor in cotton and genetics at NC State, was young, his family grew a wide variety of crops on their farm in Southern India, including rice, peanuts, sugar cane, millets, pigeon peas, field beans and vegetables. Although his family had a successful small farming business, he also saw his family fight many hardships and witnessed pervasive food insecurity and malnutrition in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cMy motivation to do agriculture research stems from seeing firsthand how the pests, diseases, drought and heat stress impacted our farms and the livelihoods of rural communities,\u201d says Kuraparthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through exposure to farming, Kuraparthy developed a keen interest in agricultural research and discovered a fascination with plant biology. Now, he\u2019s using his passion for studying plant genetics and breeding in hopes of assuring the stability of one of North Carolina\u2019s most important crops: cotton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he wasn\u2019t quite familiar with cotton breeding early on in his career, Kuraparthy is now a leading expert in cotton research and researchers across the U.S. cotton belt utilize his findings for cotton crop improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuraparthy\u2019s Shift from Wheat to Cotton<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kuraparthy\u2019s training began with earning his bachelor\u2019s degree in agriculture and a master\u2019s degree in plant breeding and genetics in India. He then earned his Ph.D. and completed his postdoctoral training in genetics in the Department of Plant Pathology at Kansas State University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While at Kansas State, Kuraparthy successfully developed genetic resistance to leaf and stripe rust diseases in the wheat crop. Wheat and cotton both have multiple genomes (polyploidy) and share similar polyploid genetics. This broad training and expertise in crop breeding and the importance of the cotton crop in rural livelihoods and ecological sustainability prompted Kuraparthy to study cotton genetics after graduate school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NC State is known for its plant breeding expertise.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Kurparthy joined NC State\u2019s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences<\/a> as an assistant professor in 2008 with a research focus on cotton genetics and breeding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNC State is known for its plant breeding expertise,\u201d says Kuraparthy. \u201cIt has a long history in plant breeding innovations, and also it has great, talented scientists and cross-functional teams. It was an ideal place to start my career, work on scientific projects that are special to me and establish a cutting-edge cotton genetics and breeding program.\u201d Kuraparthy recently received the Cotton Genetics Research Award from the National Cotton Council of America<\/a>, honoring his \u201cexceptional contributions to cotton genetics understanding and plant improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discovering the Secrets of Cotton<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kuraparthy’s research spans from cotton genetic improvement using field-based crop breeding to foundational genomics and molecular biology research with the goal of ensuring economic viability and sustainability in farming. Genetic tools allow farmers to manage pests and other stresses without using chemicals, which can be costly and environmentally unfriendly. His genetic tools are also lasting solutions for continued improvement of cotton crop productivity and resiliency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cotton\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s plenty to study with this finicky plant, but Kuraparthy is building the knowledge base, including cracking the genetic code of cotton leaf shape<\/a> and, more recently, creating a \u201cgenetic diversity road map<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s plenty to study with this finicky plant, but Kuraparthy is building the knowledge base, including cracking the genetic code of cotton leaf shape<\/a> and disease resistance and, more recently, creating a \u201cgenetic diversity road map<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuraparthy leads a team of cotton researchers to develop cotton genetic resources using nested association mapping (NAM) and multiple diversity panels. Over time, the team has produced more than 6,000 lines that are helping mark the genomic location of traits and describe their production values. These resources have been widely used by cotton researchers in the U.S. to improve crop productivity and resiliency. His leading research lab is at Williams Hall on NC State\u2019s campus, and research is also conducted at the Central Crops Research Station<\/a> in Clayton and Upper Coastal Research Station<\/a> in Rocky Mount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chance to Make an Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kuraparthy\u2019s work doesn\u2019t stop in North Carolina. He\u2019s also constantly collaborating with other cotton scientists across the Cotton Belt in the southern part of the United States, including North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. Kurparthy\u2019s research program aims to benefit both North Carolina growers and the cotton industry by releasing seeds with improved traits, helping to generate new knowledge that can integrate straight into crop improvement programs. He also provides training with new, state-of-the-art techniques in cotton breeding and genetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a
Vasu Kuraparthy, a professor in cotton and genetics at NC State, planting cotton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Kuraparthy looks back at his accomplishments so far at NC State, he\u2019s incredibly proud of his ability to establish a world-class cotton genetics and breeding program that can make both foundational and applied cotton research contributions. He\u2019s also thrilled to see his genetic resources widely used in the cotton community and helping students advance their professional careers in agricultural research and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComing from a farming family, I really enjoy being able to work on critical agricultural issues alongside young scientists, outstanding colleagues, and stakeholders, and seeing the research and training efforts translate into tangible outcomes,\u201d says Kuraparthy. \u201cNC State\u2019s Land Grant University functions of research, teaching and extension offer this unique opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support for North Carolina\u2019s Cotton Industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

North Carolina cotton growers voted overwhelmingly on March 31 to continue a self-assessment that raises funds that support cotton-related research and extension efforts of NC State University\u2019s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The assessment will be in effect for another five growing seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n