Multi-Trait Index-Based Selection of Drought Tolerant Wheat: Physiological and Biochemical Profiling

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Physiology
• Genetics

Background:

• Drought stress detrimentally affects global wheat production by disrupting physiological processes.
• Understanding drought tolerance mechanisms is crucial for developing resilient wheat cultivars.
• Identifying specific traits and genotypes for drought tolerance is essential for wheat breeding programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate drought endurance in 14 wheat genotypes under field conditions using physiological and biochemical traits.
• To identify superior drought-tolerant wheat genotypes for breeding programs.
• To explore the potential of various traits as selection targets for drought tolerance.

Main Methods:

• Field evaluation of 14 wheat genotypes under drought stress during the grain-filling stage.
• Measurement of physiological, gas exchange, photosystem II, stomatal, reactive species, metabolomic, and biomass traits.
• Application of Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Multi-trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI) for genotype screening.

Main Results:

• Drought significantly impacted all measured parameters, with notable genotypic variations.
• HCA identified three distinct drought tolerance groups, with seven genotypes in Cluster 2 showing superior tolerance.
• MGIDI analysis ranked BARI Gom 33, BARI Gom 26, BD-9889, and BD-600 as top performers, corroborating HCA findings.

Conclusions:

• Seven wheat genotypes (BARI Gom 26, BARI Gom 33, BD-631, BD-600, BD-9910, BD-9889, BD-637) demonstrated superior drought tolerance.
• Traits associated with photosynthesis, biomass, leaf conductance, water stress, and osmoprotection are key indicators for selecting drought-tolerant wheat.
• The identified genotypes and traits provide valuable genetic resources for developing wheat varieties adapted to water-limited environments.