The drought effect on morphophysiological parameters and crop performance indicators of the studied local wheat genotypes

Drought stress is the most important factor and an increasingly serious problem limiting the growth of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. / Triticum durum ) in the world. Wheat possesses physiological mechanisms that allow it to adapt to the stress of drought and can vary depending on the genotype. The studies were carried out on wheat genotypes at the Absheron Experimental Base Station of the Azerbaijan Scientific Research Institute of Crop Husbandry. The experiment was designed in a factorial design with two treatments (irrigated and non-irrigated) and three repetitions during the 2020-2021 harvest season. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences between treatments and between varieties. The treatment × cultivar interaction was also significant for all traits, with the exception of grain per plant yield. Significant interactions showed that varieties performed differently under stressful conditions, but consistently with respect to grain yield. The studied varieties Giymatly-2/17, Gunashly and Tale-38 showed a minimal decrease in physiological characteristics, as well as in yield characteristics under stress during flowering, however, a decrease from low to high was observed under stress conditions compared with no stress. Correlations between morphological, physiological, and morphophysiological traits such as plant height, number of grains per ear, seed index, grain yield per plant, yield index, relative water content, stomatal conductance, leaf area and ear fertility have generally been reliable indicators for screening for drought tolerant wheat varieties and potentially higher yields. In addition, it is observed that improvement in any of these traits will lead to an increase in grain yield under water stress conditions.