New cotton lines created by a multi-parent breeding approach has resulted in opportunities for natural genes to interact and develop the unexpected trait of flame retardancy. This means that when exposed to an open flame, the fabric from the new cotton lines self-extinguish whereas regular cotton fabric burns entirely in seconds.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected the US Cotton Trust Protocol to lead the US Climate Smart Cotton Program with a funding ceiling of $90 million. This will be one of the 70 projects selected under the first pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity.
