Abstract: A Gossypium barbadense male-sterility line ‘Hai A’ with G. harknessii cytoplasm and its maintainer ‘Hai B’ were developed by replacing nuclear genome from G. hirsutum to G. barbadense in a backcross breeding program. Its male cell abortion was observed by light microscope through paraffin slice for H.E staining technique. The results showed that the abortion characteristics in ‘Hai A’ were not significantly changed at the cytological level although G. hirsutum nuclear genome of sterile line was replaced by G. barbadense nuclear genome, and its abortion mainly took place at the stage of microspore mother cell meiosis. ‘Hai A’ sterility was very stable because of its early abortion and no-pollens in anthers. Hybrids between ‘Hai A’ and G. hirsutum restorers were high in pollen viability, boll setting rate, boll weight and lint percentage which contributed to high yield heterosis. It is suggested that ‘Hai A’ is of value in the application of cotton interspecific hybrid seed production.

Key words: Gossypium barbadense, Cytoplasmic male sterility, Interspecific heterosis