EVALUATION OF SALT TOLERANT WHEAT VARIETIES CULTIVARS BY OBSERVING GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE UNDER DROUGHT STRESS

Generally, the yield of most crops relies the intensity of drought and the stage of plant growth period where it occurs. Various wheat genotypes viz. IBWSN-1010, IBWSN-1025 (Salt tolerant liens), TD-1, ESW-9526 (Hybrid lines) Khirman (Commercial cultivated cultivar) and Chakwal-86 (Drought tolerant) were evaluated to examine the growth and physiological responses to drought stress. Growth and water relations were investigated in the fourth leaf over a twenty-day timescale under drought and control conditions. The results were used to evaluate whether the salt tolerant cultivars IBWSN-1010 and IBWSN-1025 are also tolerant to drought stress. In the drought treatment, the cultivars Chakwal-86 (drought tolerant), IBWSN-1010, IBWSN-1025 (salt tolerant liens) and TD-1 and ESW-9525 (Lines) had a significantly higher number of live leaves, leaf and shoot fresh and dry mass, retained higher leaf and relative water content, and had a lower leaf mortality compared to Khirman. The salt and drought tolerant cultivars all showed significantly higher leaf water potential compared to the hybrid lines and Khirman. No significant differences were observed in soil water content and potential, meaning that all cultivars depleted soil water equally. Longer leaf longevity and greater fresh mass retention show that salt tolerant cultivars are also drought tolerant.