Effects of Water Deficiency Stress during Seed Growth on Yield and its Components, Germination and Seedling Growth Parameters of Some Wheat Cultivars

Little information is available in the literature about the effect of terminal drought stress on seed germination and vigor of wheat. The objectives of this experiment were to study the effect of terminal water deficiency stress on yield and its components, seed germination and vigor of nine wheat cultivars (Bahar, Parsi, Pishtaz, Pishgam, Chamran, Zarin, Sivand, Marvdasht and DN-11). To this end, an experiment was caried out in a split–plot experiment based on randomized completed blocks design with three replications during 2010-2011 season in research farm of Razi university in Iran. The results showed that post anthesis water deficency significantly decreased grain yield, biomass, 1000 grain weight and grain number spick-1 in cultivars. Under post-anthesis water deficiency, cultivars in terms of all under-study traits had significant differences. In the second experiment, influence of water deficiency stress in farm on germination percentage and seedling growth parameters have been measured. Based on laboratory results, water deficiency stress in farm caused reduction in all germination characteristics, except plumule to radicle ratio and mean germination time. According to farm and laboratory results, it can be said that Sivand cultivar with the highest yield and grain weight had the best germination characteristics and less affected by water deficiency stress. Also Pishgam and DN-11 were the next cultivars based on germination characteristics.

Wheat, Drought stress, Yield, Germination, Mean germination time, Radicle