RESPONSE OF SOME EXOTIC BREAD WHEAT GENOTYPES TO REDUCED IRRIGATION IN NORTH DELTA REGION OF EGYPT

Abstract

Water deficit is one of the most constraints to wheat production in Egypt and worldwide. Therefore, sixteen exotic lines and two local cultivars of bread wheat were evaluated under normal (five irrigation) and water deficit stress (the planting irrigation only) conditions during 2017/18 and 2018/19 growing seasons at Sakha Agricultural Research Station. The current study aimed to enhance the breeding program with lines tolerant to water deficit stress. The two seasons and two water treatments showed sufficient genetic variability among the studied genotypes. Most studied traits showed higher values in the second season compared to the first one. All mean values of the studied traits decreased under water deficit stress. High values of grain and biological yields, number of spikes m-2 , grain filling period and rate were the most contributors to water deficit stress tolerance. line 1, line 16, line 15 and line 11 had high yielding ability and relative tolerance under water deficit stress. Misr 1 and Giza 171 cultivars were proved to be suitable cultivars under reduced irrigation. The exotics line 3, line 5 and line 9 could be used to enhance wheat breeding program for water deficit stress tolerance.