MELHORAMENTO GENÉTICO E BIOTECNOLOGIA DO ALGODOEIRO: PANORAMA HISTÓRICO E ATUAL DA COTONICULTURA EM GOIÁS

Abstract

Cotton is now one of the world's leading fibers and a major player in Brazilian agribusiness, the country went from importer to the world's largest exporter, a shift for which the Cerrado, and southwestern Goiás in particular, was one of the main stages. Behind this progress lies plant breeding, responsible for making cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) more productive, resilient, and suited to Brazilian conditions. Through a literature review, this study brings together the crop's economic and social importance, the classical breeding methods, and the trajectory of genetic engineering in Brazil and in Goiás, from the first isolated events to the combinations that now unite several traits in a single plant. It concludes that genetics and biotechnology have been decisive in sustaining the crop's competitiveness and will remain so, provided they are paired with responsible management that preserves the durability of these technologies.