American researchers have bred four cotton lines that can be used to make self-extinguishing textiles when exposed to fire and will reduce the need for flame-retardant chemicals to be embedded in consumer products.
- The findings have been published in PLOS ONE.
- The research was led by Brian Condon, retired research leader at the ARS Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research Unit of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in New Orleans. Johnie Jenkins and Jack C McCarty, supervisory research geneticists at the ARS Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research Unit in Mississippi bred the cotton lines.
The Research: The cotton lines were developed from cultivated cotton varieties and possessed a novel flame-retardant trait.
- When exposed to an open flame, the fabric from the new cotton lines self-extinguished whereas regular cotton fabric burned entirely in seconds.
- Cotton typically produces flammable fibres and is treated with chemicals to be flame retardant when used for consumer products like clothing, mattresses, upholstery, and carpet.
What's Significant: The new cotton lines were created by a multi-parent breeding approach that resulted in new opportunities for natural genes to interact and develop the unexpected trait of flame retardancy.
- Although all of the parental cotton lines produced flammable fabric, researchers found that flame retardance did not come from a single gene. Instead, they found that multiple genes created a phenotype for fibres with significantly lower heat release capacities.
- The new cotton lines also possessed the desired agronomic and fibre quality traits, making the lines sought after for breeding and consumer usage.
What They Said:
Use of these lines to develop commercial cultivars creates an opportunity to improve the safety of cotton products while reducing the economic and environmental impacts of chemical flame retardants," said Brian Condon, senior author of the study and retired research leader at the ARS Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research Unit in New Orleans. "These lines will significantly benefit growers, producers, and consumers."
— Brian Condon (senior author)
Retired research leader
ARS Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research Unit (New Orleans)
