Page 9 - 17 Cotton SA March 2019

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MANIPULATION OF GOSSYPOL-
CONTAINING GLANDS IN COTTON Tommy Hilfiger.
CAN BOOST THE PLANT'S NATURAL
DEFENSES
Development of a cotton plant with stronger
natural defences due to a greater gland density
and thus more gossypol in the leaves could soon
be a reality. Seeds and other parts of cotton
possess dark glands containing toxic terpenoids
such as gossypol, that defend the plant against
pests and pathogens, said Dr Keerti Rathore,
AgriLife Research plant biotechnologist at the
Institute for Plant Genomics and Biotechnology at
the Texas A&M University. TOMMY HILFIGER
Rathore and his team compared RNA
production in the embryos from a glanded cotton TO LAUNCH 100%
and a mutant glandless plant. These analyses RECYCLED COTTON
resulted in the identification of three genes that
play a critical role in gland formation, he said. JEANS IN 2019
Rathore's lab recently announced the Tommy Hilfiger has achieved a new
development and deregulation of a gossypol- sustainable milestone. The PVH Corp.-
free cotton seed – ultra-low gossypol cotton owned brand recently announced that it
seed (ULGCS) – that could be a new source of would introduce its first 100% recycled
protein for the more efficient aquaculture species cotton denim styles in the Spring of
and poultry, or even as human food. However, 2019 – the Tommy Jeans collection.
equally important in the world of scientific “We have a responsibility to future
discoveries, he said, is the intriguing possibility generations to manufacture products
of enhancing the expression of these genes to in a more thoughtful way to protect
increase the number of glands in the leaves our environment,” said founder Tommy
and floral tissues. This would allow for boosting Hilfiger. Moving forward, the company
gossypol production in those locations and said the sustainable denim would
strengthening the plant's natural defences. "There become part of the Tommy Jeans
is an increasing need for such a natural defence collection each season.
mechanism against pests because more and The innovative jeans are made of
more insect species are developing resistance to cotton offcuts that are taken apart, using
various forms of Bt-cotton," Rathore said. a mechanical separation
process before being
Gossypol-containing glands (dark-coloured dots) in the seed and leaf. woven into new material.
The thread used to sew the
jeans is spun from recycled
plastic bottles and buttons,
while recycled metal will be
used to create the buttons
and zips.

Volume 21 No 1 March 2019 | 9