Field Screening of Drought and Salinity Tolerant Wheat Genotypes in Hot and Dry Climates

Drought and salinity stresses are among the non-living environmental stresses in arid and semi-arid regions that affect plant growth and yield. The aim of this study was to identify the best wheat genotypes in terms of high yield and tolerance to drought and salinity using bi-plot graphic technique and stress tolerance indices, which was conducted at the research station of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center in 2020. For this purpose, 111 pure bread wheat lines selected from observational experiments that were transformed after 6 generations of autogamy and selection by the bulk breeding method were examined as non-repetitive experiments (augment) in three conditions of normal, dryness, and salinity. During the growing season, Days to the heading: DHE, Days to maturity: DMA, Plant height: PL, Thousand-kernel weight: TKW, Spike length: SL, Seed number per Spike: SNP, Seed weight per spike: SWS, Number of spikelet per spike: NSS, Spike weight: SW, Seed yield: SY, were evaluated and compared with control cultivars. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. 16 Excel and Statghraphic software. The experimental results showed great diversity in the genotypes in terms of most of the studied traits and the Seed number per Spike and Thousand-kernel weight were the most important variables affecting seed yield under normal conditions, salinity stress, and drought. Finally, this study showed that the genetic materials in this experiment, with new traits and diversity in yield potential under environmental stress conditions, can provide valuable resources for breeders to improve and produce wheat cultivars tolerant to salt and drought stress.