The effects of drought stress on yield, yield components, and yield stability at different growth stages in bread wheat cultivar (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

The current study examined the response of yield, yield components, and other physiological traits to drought in bread wheat. A field experiment was conducted in 2013-2015 at the the Agriculture and environmental research center of Ardabili located in Moghan, Iran. The experimental design was a split-plot experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications under five drought stress (no irrigation) regimes: rainfed (T1), tillering stage (T2), booting stage (T3), after anthesis (T4), full irrigation (T5), and 10 bread wheat cultivars. Combined analysis of variance revealed significant genotypic differences for all measured trait aspects of TN, FTN, SN, and TDM. Significant differences were also observed between drought treatments for PH, DHE, DMA, GFP, NGS, TGW, HI, SW, TDM, GWP, and GW. The interaction between stress treatments and cultivars was also significant for DHE, DMA, GFP, NGS, TGW, and GY. The stability measuring of the GGE biplot polygon showed that the performance of cultivars G3, G7, and G8 are highly variable (less stable), whereas cultivars G5, G1, G2, G10, G9, and G4 are highly stable. Cultivars G9 and G10 are more desirable than other cultivars that has both high mean yield and high stability.