Multivariate analysis for identifying drought-tolerant barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes using stress indices

The stress indicator widely expresses the impression of drought stress on barley genotypes throughout the crown root initiation period, highlighting its worldwide effect on production. So, it was urgent need to identify the drought-resilient genotypes considering the multi-trait genotype ideotype distance index (MGIDI). The study, conducted to evaluate the grain output and genetic variations of 50 barley genotypes using stress indicator. Under optimal conditions, genotype IBON14 achieved the highest grain yield of 9.55 g/plant, while under drought stress, genotype BD7194 produced 7.31 g/plant. Significant correlations, both positive and negative (ranging from 0.66 to 1.00), were observed among stress tolerance indices and yields. Using the MGIDI index, genotype BD7194 was selected as the most drought-tolerant, followed by BD7188, IBON14, BD8579, and IBON16, with a 5 % selection intensity. Factor study among the MGIDI revealed diverse tolerance and susceptibility indices, emphasizing the robustness of the certain genotypes, all of which were grouped under a single factor. The selected genotypes exhibited a selection gain (%) between 39.9 % and 113 %. Moreover, the selection differential, calculated from predicted values, varied from 0.25 to 2.54, and broad-sense heritability was determined to be ≥0.99. This study emphasizes the usefulness of the MGIDI index in selecting drought-tolerant barley genotypes, with BD7194 proving to be the most resilient, exhibiting high genetic stability and selection gains.