Cotton Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.1, 21-28 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/cgg 22 relevant strategies for breeding and management. This study emphasizes the potential of metabolomics in targeted crop improvement. By combining traditional and cutting-edge methods, it can better breed high-yield and stress-resistant cotton varieties, and also help promote the sustainable development of cotton production in the face of future agricultural challenges. 2 Key Factors Regulating Cotton Plant Architecture 2.1 Genotypic variation and architectural traits The appearance of cotton is related to its genes. Different varieties have different genes, and the height, branch length and angle, and flowering time of cotton will also be different (Figure 1) (Huang et al., 2022). Scientists have found many genes related to these traits through genome-wide association studies. Some genes affect the height and fruit branch length of cotton through auxin signals (Wang et al., 2022). There are also some key genes, such as the PEBP family (such as FT/SFT and SP), which regulate branching patterns and flowering time, which is very helpful for breeding (McGarry and Ayre, 2021). Cotton will behave differently in different regions. For example, in the north, some cotton varieties are more compact and shorter. In other places, some varieties grow taller. Figure 1 The cultivation feature and plant architecture of cotton (Adopted from Huang et al., 2022) Image caption: (A) The planting pattern of short-dense-early cotton in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Phenotype of normal fruit branch upland cotton (B) and its schematic diagram (C). Phenotype of short fruit branch upland cotton (D) and its schematic diagram (E). Blue triangles indicate monopodial shoot apical meristem; green triangles represent sympodial shoot meristem; red balls represent determinate floral buds; green peach-like shapes indicate leaves (Adopted from Huang et al., 2022) 2.2 Influence of environmental factors on plant morphogenesis How cotton grows is not only related to genes, but also has a lot to do with the environment. Factors such as sunlight, temperature, and the length of day and night (photoperiod) will affect plant shape. There is a blue light receptor gene called GhFKF1, which together with another gene GhGI regulates flowering and axillary bud differentiation. Both processes are very sensitive to light and temperature. Some early-maturing cotton varieties will begin to form flowers relatively early. By regulating these genes that are sensitive to the outside world, cotton can be more adaptable to different environments (Li et al., 2024). The balance between limited growth (stopping at a certain extent) and unlimited growth (continuous growth) is also important for cotton. Adjusting this balance can allow cotton to adapt to different planting methods (McGarry and Ayre, 2021).
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