Independent and combined effects of heat and drought stress in the Seri M82 × Babax bread wheat population

Abstract

Abstract Heat and drought are the most important wheat production constraints worldwide. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the independent and combined effects of drought and heat in SeriM82/Babax population. Genotypes showed 11, 38 and 52% losses in grain yield ( YLD ) in 2010–11 and 18, 25 and 48% in 2011–12 under heat, drought and combined stress, respectively. Seri M82 had higher YLD than Babax under heat and combined stress. Grain per spike and canopy temperature at vegetative stage ( CT v) in irrigated, day to heading and CT at grain‐filling stage ( CT g) in drought, CT g and thousand‐grain weight ( TGW ) in heat and in combined trials were the best predictors of YLD . Results indicated that due to genotype by environment interactions not all stress‐adaptive traits could be accumulated in a single genotype. In general, day to heading, CT g and grain weight are suggested as indirect selection criteria for increasing YLD under heat and drought stresses. In particular, CT g could be used as a rapid and effective criterion for screening a high number of genotypes.