Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Former M.Sc. Student in Agronomy, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

2 Assistant Prof., Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Evaluation of the physiological and biochemical traits can help to identify strategies for selection of resistant cultivars and increased crop yield production under diverse environmental conditions such as drought stress conditions. To this end, an experiment was laid out in a split–plot arranged as a randomized complete blocks design with nine cultivars, two levels of water regimes and three replications during 2010-2011 seasons at the Research Farm of Razi University of Kermanshah. The results showed that post-anthesis water deficit significantly decreased grain yield, biomass and grain weight and had not significant effect on other yield components. In well watered and water deficiency stress, Sivand and DN-11 had the greatest grain yield, respectively. Chamran cultivar showed the lowest grain yield under post-anthesis water deficiency stress. Post-anthesis water deficiency stress significantly decreased leaf soluble proteins concentration, chlorophyll a, b and a/b ratio and greenness index. Despite the reduction of photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, relative water content and stem’s soluble sugar concentration under post-anthesis water deficiency stress, these reductions were not significant.

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