Evaluation of spring wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) for heat stress tolerance using different stress tolerance indices

Abstract

Twenty five spring wheat genotypes were evaluated for terminal heat stress tolerance in field environments in the Agro Ecological Zone-11 of Bangladesh, during 2009-2010 cropping season. The experiments were conducted at Wheat Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, using randomized block design with three replicates under non-stress (optimum sowing) and stress (late sowing) conditions. Seven selection indices for stress tolerance including mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP), tolerance (TOL), yield index (YI), yield stability index (YSI), stress tolerance index (STI) and stress susceptibility index (SSI) were calculated based on grain yield of wheat under optimum and late sowing conditions. The results revealed significant variations due to genotypes for all characters in two sowing conditions. Principal component analysis revealed that the first PCA explained 0.64 of the variation with MP, GMP, YI and STI. Using MP, GMP, YI and STI, the genotypes G-05 and G-22 were found to be the best genotypes with relatively high yield and suitable for both optimum and late heat stressed conditions. The indices SSI, YSI and TOL could be useful parameters in discriminating the tolerant genotypes (G-12, G-13, and G- 14) that might be recommended for heat stressed conditions. It is also concluded from the present studies that biomass, grain filling rate and spikes number m-2 are suitable for selecting the best genotypes under optimum and late sowing conditions because these parameters are highly correlated with MP, GMP, YI and STI. However, high ground cover with long pre heading stage and having high grain filling rate would made a genotype tolerant to late heat to attain a high grain yield in wheat.