STUDY OF WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) GENOTYPES UNDER CONTRASTING MOISTURE REGIMES AT MATURITY STAGE

Abstract

Present study was carried out to evaluate twenty five diverse wheat genotypes for drought tolerance under contrasting moisture regimes at Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PMAS, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi during rabi 2012-13. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with two replications under rainfed and moisture stress conditions. At maturity stage total soluble sugar, grain filling duration, chlorophyll content, days to heading, proline content, days to maturity, leaf area, grain yield and grain filling duration were determined for contrasting regimes. Under rainfed conditions highest values of days to heading (135.50), chlorophyll content (47) and leaf area (63 cm2 ) was observed in triticale and highest value of proline content (0.076) and days to heading (136) was shown by Zarghoona. Highest value for total soluble sugar (5.952) was observed in Buck-Briclr. Shafaq-06 showed highest value for grain filling duration (47.5). Highest value for days to maturity (175) was shown by WC-445 and grain yield (453) by Kaghan-93. Under moisture controlled conditions highest value for chlorophyll content (45) was observed in Maxi-Pak and for proline content (0.2748) in Triticale, WC-20 showed highest value for total soluble sugar (15.13), Zarlashta showed highest value for days to maturity (169) and Shafaq-06 for grain filling duration (47), highest value of leaf area (32 cm2 ) and days to heading (135) were observed in Zarghoona and highest value for grain yield (402g) was recorded by Kaghan-93 followed by Triticale (331g) and inqilab-91 (290g). Among twenty five screened genotypes Kaghan-93, Inqilab-91, BWP-94, Shafaq-06, Chenab-70, Triticale, Zarghoona and CH-50 showed drought tolerance and can be used further for drought related research programmes.