RETRACTED ARTICLE: Assessment of genetic diversity in cotton genotypes using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers: insights from interspecific and intraspecific variations

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is a critical fiber crop and a major source of edible oil, playing a pivotal role in both the textile industry and human nutrition. While various molecular markers have been employed to assess genetic diversity in cotton, there remains an opportunity to further explore its genetic potential. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of cotton using Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers. We applied 10 SSR markers to a collection of 50 cotton genotypes, including 20 interspecific and 30 intraspecific cultivars. Our analysis revealed that the number of bands per marker ranged from 3 to 5 in interspecific genotypes and was consistently 2 in intraspecific genotypes. The Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) values ranged from 0.4886 to 0.8201 in interspecific cotton, with an average PIC value of 0.6602, whereas in intraspecific cotton, PIC values ranged from 0.3047 to 0.3747, with an average of 0.3608. The highest PIC values in interspecific cotton were observed with primers NAU3897 and NAU5172, which had PIC values of 0.8201 and 0.7727, respectively. For intraspecific cotton, the highest PIC values were obtained with primers NAU3897 and NAU3009, which had PIC values of 0.3747. These results indicate a high level of genetic variation among interspecific cotton genotypes, as revealed by the SSR markers. The SSR primers with high PIC values identified in this study are valuable for crop breeders, thereby offering tools for selecting superior germplasm, assessing genetic diversity, and conducting molecular mapping. These insights are crucial for future cotton varietal development programs.