Wild cotton species can handle the heat

Wild cotton species can handle the heat

Heatwaves are increasingly straining cotton production, leading scientists to hunt for plants that can handle these stressful events. A recent study in the Annals of Botany by Dubey et al identified four wild Australian cotton species that are not only thermotolerant but benefit from high heat. Scientists can now use these wild species as a starting point for breeding thermotolerance into commercial cotton.   To determine whether any wild cotton…