University of Tehran
Abstract: (65 Views)
Drought is a major abiotic stress in agriculture, capable of reducing wheat yield by up to 50%, particularly when stress occurs during late growth stages. This study assessed the drought tolerance of 88 wheat genotypes under greenhouse conditions at the University of Tehran using a factorial randomized complete block design with two replicates under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. Shoot dry weight and physiological traits were measured. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among genotypes for all traits. Under both conditions, irrigated genotypes such as Bayat, DN11, Bezostaya, Chamran, and Pishtaz exhibited the highest trait values. Under stress, rainfed genotypes like Dashtjardi and Azar showed reduced performance. Comparison between irrigated and rainfed genotypes revealed that under normal conditions, significant variation existed for most traits except relative water content, proline, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids. Under drought stress, all traits showed significant variation except flag leaf green color intensity and carotenoids. Phenotypic evaluation revealed a 51% reduction in shoot dry weight under drought. Regression analysis explained 57% and 71% of variation in dry weight under normal and stress conditions, respectively. Dry biomass correlated positively with relative water content in both conditions. Principal component analysis indicated that the first three components explained over 66% of total variance. Genotypes Bayat, DN11, Bezostaya, and Chamran were identified as superior under both stress and non-stress conditions. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes into four clusters in both environments. These findings provide insights into the physiological basis of drought tolerance and can guide selection in breeding programs.
Article number: 6
Keywords: Genetic diversity, Drought stress, Principal component analysis, Wheat, Physiological traits.
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