Genetic diversity of soft spring wheat in resistance to early drought

Abstract

Soft spring wheat has a wide range of genetic diversity in water deficiency response at juvenile stage of plant development. Fifty-nine collection samples were studied under laboratory conditions. In control variant distilled water was used, in experiment - sucrose solution (9 atm). The relative index of seed roots number is the most information-bearing criterion for estimation of potential drought-resistance level. Based on this criterion 16.9% samples of the studied set are estimated as highly resistant, 50.8% - as resistant ones. Low level of resistance is characteristic for only 5.1% of studied genotypes. The following species were recognized as having high drought-resistance level: ANK-4 (Novosibirsk region, Russia), Vetluzhanka (Krasnoyarsk territory, Russia), Vishivanka (Ukraine), E-737 (Kazakhstan), Cahuide (Peru), Klein Vencedor (Argentina), Musket (Great Britain), NOS Norko (Germany), Ta 3332 (Finland). Cluster analysis divided the whole set of variety samples into 5 groups having different combinations of such parameters as seed germination ability, number of seed roots, the intensity of root development and germ growth both under control and in conditions of physiological drought. To raise the level of potential drought resistance it is possible to use genotypes from remote clusters for crossing.

Keywords

• soft spring wheat
• resistance
• early drought
• cluster analysis
• genetic diversity