[Objective] This paper aimed to study the heterosis and combining ability of virescent mutant in upland cotton, which would provide the oretical basis for germplasm innovation and breeding of hybrid cotton varieties. [ Method] The heterosis and combining ability were estimated for yield and fiber quality traits in F1 progenies of 16 cross combinations of upland cotton hybridized by using a 4 x 4 incomplete diallel cross design ( NCH ) with four virescent strains as female parents and four commercial strains as male parents. [Result] From the results of the check heterosis for 16 cross combinations, the utilization of hybrid in F1 generation using virescent mutant could improve yield, especially the increase of lint index and seed index; The virescent mutant 53-39 and commercial strains XNY16-1 had a positive general combining ability effect and could be used as an important parent in hybridization breeding program; On three cross combinations, K15, K3 and KlO performed quite well special combining ability in lint percentage, fiber length and fiber strength, respectively; On the comprehensive analysis of five cross combinations, i. e. K5, K13, K14, K15 and K16 performed quite well total combining ability regarding most of the 9 phenotypic characters. [Conclusion] The heterosis between virescent mutant and commercial strains might be with well potential in yield heterosis utilization; The virescent mutant 53-39 had a positive general combining ability effect and good comprehensive performance in cross combinations ; The five cross combinations performed quite well total combining ability and could be further applied with hybrid cotton strong dominant combination breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]