MULTI-ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZATION OF BREAD WHEAT GENOTYPES FOR WATERLOGGING TOLERANCE

The improvement in waterlogging tolerance of wheat may help to enhance the productivity of crop in regions having high and untimely rainfalls with poor drainage. The present study was undertaken to characterize waterlogging tolerance of 65 different bread wheat genotypes. The traits like grain yield, biological yield, tillers per meter, grain filling duration, spike weight and plant height under waterlogged conditions were found sensitive. The spike weight, tillers per meter, 1000 grain weight, biological yield and harvest index showed significant correlations with grain yield under both normal and waterlogged conditions. Waterlogging tolerance index (WTI) showed positive correlation with plant height, tillers per meter, biological yield, thousand grain weight and grain yield. These agronomic traits along with WTI were used to identify tolerant genotypes with high yield potential. Wheat genotypes SSDC3-264, SSDC3-347, NW 5054 and PBW 550 were identified as tolerant and could be utilized for improving the waterlogging tolerance of wheat.