Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman and Iranian Biotechnology Society Agricultural Biotechnology Journal 2228-6705 9 2 2017 09 18 Cotton genetic engineering: from past till now Cotton genetic engineering: from past till now 31 58 1750 10.22103/jab.2017.1750 FA Masood Tohidfar Science and biotechnology faculty, Shaid beheshti. Tel.: 02129903244. Fax: 021 29903244 Soolmaz Khosravi Agricultural biotechnology Institute of Iran, AREO. Tel.: 02632703536. Fax: 02632701068 Journal Article 2017 03 04 Cotton is considered as one of the most important crops in the world and ranks the fourth economic crop in Iran. In past years, conventional plant breeders endeavored to increase cotton quality. To overcome the constraints that conventional breeding programs comprised, new genetic engineering technologies were introduced. Since then, many cotton events resistant to pests, disease, pesticides, abiotic stresses and also high quality of lint have been produced and commercialized around the world which has confronted a noticeable public acceptance. Today and with the advent of next generation sequencing methods in favor of easier identification of suitable candidate genes for their manipulation and novel targeted genome editing technology (CRISPR/Cas9), outstanding prospects regarding cotton breeding have been developed. In present article, history of cotton breeding including genetic engineering and genome editing researches which led to production of resistant cultivars to biotic and abiotic stresses and high quality fiber are reviewed. Cotton is considered as one of the most important crops in the world and ranks the fourth economic crop in Iran. In past years, conventional plant breeders endeavored to increase cotton quality. To overcome the constraints that conventional breeding programs comprised, new genetic engineering technologies were introduced. Since then, many cotton events resistant to pests, disease, pesticides, abiotic stresses and also high quality of lint have been produced and commercialized around the world which has confronted a noticeable public acceptance. Today and with the advent of next generation sequencing methods in favor of easier identification of suitable candidate genes for their manipulation and novel targeted genome editing technology (CRISPR/Cas9), outstanding prospects regarding cotton breeding have been developed. In present article, history of cotton breeding including genetic engineering and genome editing researches which led to production of resistant cultivars to biotic and abiotic stresses and high quality fiber are reviewed. https://jab.uk.ac.ir/article_1750_dcf84aea585cba49a09150ee4c7e6ef3.pdf