Screening barley genotypes in terms of some quantitative and qualitative characteristics under normal and water deficit stress conditions

This study aimed to evaluate promising lines and commercial barley cultivars in terms of some quantitative and qualitative characteristics under normal and water deficit conditions. The experiment was conducted as a split-plot based on a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. According to the results, water deficiency significantly reduced the chlorophyll index (34.64 %), leaf relative water content (RWC) (15.11%), the leaf area index (42.90%), the number of seeds per spike (6.04%), 1000-grain weight (60.19%), biological yield (37.46%), grain yield (42.79%), starch (6.15%), and grain ash (20.16%) content while increasing superoxidase (33.89%) and catalase (CAT) (50.0%) enzyme activity and the grain protein content (19.58%) compared to normal conditions. In both environmental conditions, the highest grain yield was attributed to M-88-2 and M-86-5 lines and the Jonoob cultivar. However, the M-88-2 line had higher chlorophyll content, relative water content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and grain ash content in both environmental conditions compared to the Jonoob cultivar. Under normal conditions grain yield showed a positive and significant phenotypic correlation with 1000-grain weight. Furthermore, under water deficit conditions, we detected a positive phenotypic correlation between the grain yield and leaf RWC as well as the number of spikes per square meter and a positive phenotypic and genetic correlation with the biological yield. According to the results of the present study, the promising M-88-2 line can be used in future breeding programs for drought resistance as well as its quantitative and qualitative characteristics.

Automated summary

This study evaluated promising lines and commercial barley cultivars in terms of their quantitative and qualitative characteristics under normal and water deficit conditions. Water deficiency significantly reduced various traits and increased certain enzyme activity and protein content. The M-88-2 line showed potential for drought resistance and desirable characteristics. Grain yield had positive correlations with different traits in different environmental conditions.