2006 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement between ARS and Cotton Incorporated. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the inhouse research project 6406-21000-010-00D, Germplasm Enhancement and Genetic Improvement of Cotton. Random Mating Populations Developed for Cotton Breeding: A random mated population was developed through five cycles of random mating beginning with a diallele cross among 11 elite parents from all areas of the Cotton Belt by the Genetics and Precision Agriculture Research Unit at Mississippi State, MS, cooperating with Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, and Cotton Incorporated. This addresses the breeding problem of adverse linkages between fiber quality genes and yield genes that complicate breeding efforts for better fiber quality and increases in yield. Random mating cycle 5 selfs were evaluated in two environments. Fingerprinting of the 11 parental lines continues with SSR markers. When released, these germplasms will provide valuable diversity and new gene combinations useful to all public and private cotton breeders.