Evaluation of grain quality characteristics of wheat (triticum aestivum) under irrigation and water stress conditions

Abstract

The continuing global population growth will definitely increase food demand. The coming decades will create a great challenge to feed 9 billion plus peoples with the aim to provide food to everybody on this globe. The future of crop production will definitely face problems like water stress, salinity, heat, unexpected rainfall as well as the over-exploitation of land, water and energy. wheat contributes 13.7o/o to the value addition in Pakistani agriculture, so the quality of wheat bestows chaptti, cakes and biscuits. The present study was, therefore, identified the quality of differential responses exhibited by wheat varieties in twin experiments, one under normal irrigated conditions and another under water stress conditions [simulated by totally withholding irrigation after sowing]. The genetic analysis provides useful information that water stress condition favored low moisture contents and maximum production of protein in wheat grains' The findings support comprehensive breeding programs aimed to combine superior genotypes and crosses so as to develop new varieties for water stressed areas.