Résumé
Over the past decade, cotton breeding programs in West and Central Africa (WCA) have shown minimal genetic advancement in key traits like seed cotton yield. This stagnation is due to the reliance on similar gene pools since the 1960s and outdated breeding methods that do not utilize modern technological advances or address new challenges. Cotton is economically vital in WCA, with Africa being the fifth largest producer and third largest exporter. Cotton production is concentrated in countries like Benin and Mali, with about 16 million people depending on it for income. Challenges faced by cotton breeding include: i) Technical Issues: Narrow genetic base, ineffective selection methods, and lack of advanced biotechnological tools, ii) socio-economic and environmental factors: need for varieties that adapt to climate change, improve labor efficiency, and reduce environmental and health impacts, iii) current methods and limitations: traditional genealogical selection and limited genetic resources have led to stagnation in performance. New genetic resources and more complex breeding methods are needed. To address these issues, the network of member countries of the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa (PR-PICA) has initiated efforts to i) enhance genetic diversity through international resource exchanges and creation of mega-populations, ii) improve selection schemes by incorporating modern tools and techniques, such as genomic analyses and marker-assisted selection, iii) strengthen the capacity of researchers and technicians through training and resource pooling. The network aims to revitalize breeding programs by combining resources and adopting innovative practices to meet evolving challenges and boost genetic progress. Key words: Cotton, varietal selection, genetic variability, biotechnology, genetic gain Figure: Schematic representation of an integrated cotton breeding program. Prospects for improving varietal selection programs. Ultimately, an integrated selection scheme combining genomic modelling, genetic progress simulation and new statistical analysis models will be implemented to revitalize genetic progress. To address these issues, the network of member countries of the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa (PR-PICA) has initiated efforts to i) enhance genetic diversity through international resource exchanges and creation of mega-populations, ii) improve selection schemes by incorporating modern tools and techniques, such as genomic analyses and marker-assisted selection, iii) strengthen the capacity of researchers and technicians through training and resource pooling. The network aims to revitalize breeding programs by combining resources and adopting innovative practices to meet evolving challenges and boost genetic progress.