Abstract

A global analysis of cotton (Gossypium spp.) genetic diversity is the first step to understanding its geographical distribution, dissemination, genetic relatedness, and population structure. To assess the genetic diversity and population structure in Gossypium species, 111 cotton accessions representing five allotetraploids (AD1–AD5 genomes), 23 Asiatic diploids of the Old World (A1 and A2 genomes), and 82 diploids of the New World subgenus Houzingenia (D1–D11 genomes) species were assessed using simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers with wide genome coverage. The mean genetic distance (GD) between the two most important New World tetraploid cottons (Upland (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and Pima (Gossypium barbadense L.)) was 0.39. Among the three shrub type sections (Houzingenia, Integrifolia, and Caducibracteolata) and three arborescent sections (Erioxylum, Selera, and Austroamericana …