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Custom scripts supporting GWAS for the study of fiber neps (FN) and seed coat neps (SCN) in a 550‑line <i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> MAGIC population

Published by Agricultural Research Service | Department of Agriculture | Catalog Last Checked: August 03, 2026 at 05:01 PM | Dataset Last Updated: July 06, 2026
Cotton neps, entangled knots that form within raw cotton fibers, are biological and industrial challenges because they reduce fiber quality and interfere with downstream textile processing. Two distinct types of neps occur in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum): fiber neps (FN), which consist of entangled fiber strands, and seed coat neps (SCN), which arise when fragments of the seed coat become wrapped in developing fibers. Understanding the biological origins of FN and SCN is essential for improving fiber quality, as these structures differ in composition, developmental timing, and response to environmental conditions. Using a 550‑recombinant inbred line (RIL) multi‑parent advanced generation inter‑cross (MAGIC) population grown across three environments, we performed phenotyping and genome wide association studies (GWAS) to characterize FN and SCN formation.The scripts archived in this GitHub release represent the code used to generate the genomic and statistical analytic workflow used in this study. It includes read alignment using bwa‑mem2 and BAM processing, BAM merging for multi‑lane samples, variant calling and chromosome‑wise VCF generation, VCF concatenation and preparation for imputation, genotype phasing and imputation using Beagle, descriptive statistics for multi‑environment phenotypes, GWAS using GAPIT across multiple models, Manhattan and QQ plot refinement, LD heatmap generation around significant SNPs, and expression profiling for candidate gene evaluation.

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