Stress resistance indicators as the tool for selecting drought-tolerant wheat genotypes

Abstract

Climate change and the resulting increase in the frequency and severity of drought can have significant impacts on plant production. The use of drought-tolerant crop varieties can significantly improve plant production under drought conditions. Therefore, the goal of this research was to evaluate the drought tolerance of different wheat genotypes using stress resistance indicators. An experiment was conducted with sixteen wheat genotypes in Novi Bečej (Vojvodina) in different growing seasons. The spike weight was used as a phenotypic marker of the effect of drought stress on the plant. Selection based on resistance indicators such as stress tolerance index (STI), mean productivity (MP), and geometric mean productivity (GMP) favors the selection of genotypes Dunavka, Skopjanka, and Fundulea 4, which were characterized by the highest average values of spike weight, especially in favorable growing conditions. However, genotype Fundulea 4 is characterized by the highest stress susceptibility index (SSI) and the lowest yield stability index (YSI), which makes this genotype undesirable for growing under drought conditions. The parameters SSI and YSI favor the selection of the genotype Pitoma, which showed the highest value of spike weight in drought conditions as well as the least reduction in value caused by stress. Genotypes Pitoma, Dunavka, and Skopjanka, characterized by a high yield index (YI), are suitable for cultivation in drought conditions, where they achieved above-average trait values. The most suitable stress resistance indicators for selecting drought-tolerant wheat genotypes are SSI, YSI, and YI.