Production of genetically-controlled herbicide resistance in cotton plants in the absence if genetic engineering

A process for selecting a cotton plant which exhibits genetically-controlled herbicide resistance that is not attributable to genetic engineering comprising:

• (a) subjecting cotton seeds that are not genetically engineered for herbicide resistance to a cold stressing temperature of approximately 40 to 50° F. in a humid atmosphere,
• (b) planting said cotton seeds following step (a) to produce cotton plants,
• (c) self-pollinating the cotton plants produced in step (b) and forming cotton seeds thereon as the result of said self-pollination,
• (d) maintaining said cotton seeds produced in step (c) for sufficient time to produce mature cotton seeds,
• (e) soaking said mature cotton seeds from step (d) in a liquid comprising a herbicide selected from the group consisting of glyphosate and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid for a period of time sufficient for the herbicide to reach the embryos of the cotton seeds, and
• (f) planting said cotton seeds following said soaking of step (e) in a growing medium and selecting at least one cotton plant produced upon the germination of said cotton seeds that displays genetically-controlled herbicide resistance to said herbicide following contact with said herbicide that is not attributable to a foreign gene for herbicide resistance introduced by genetic engineering, and
• (g) optionally selecting a descendant plant from said at least one selected cotton plant of step (f) that displays genetically-controlled resistance to said herbicide.