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Assessment of genetic diversity in wheat genotype in terms of cold tolerance, agronomic, and quality traits

Berrin Dumlu , Metin Tosun, Halit Karagoz , Umran Kucukozdemir, Jan Bocianowski , Hadi Alipour , Aras Türkoglu

Abstract

Context 5Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Necmettin Erbakan University, 42310 *Corresponding author. Email: ha.alipour@urmia.ac.ir, aras.turkoglu@erbakan.edu.tr Wheat, cultivated on approximately 224 million hectares globally and yielding around 800 million tons annially, contributes approximately 19% of daily caloric intake and 21% of protein in human diets, underscoring its historical and nutritional importance. Despite its significance, wheat production is increasingly threatened by climate change-induced drought, erratic rainfall patterns, disease outbreaks, pest infestations, and cold damage, compounded by disruptions from political conflicts. Exposure to low temperatures induces morphological and physiological changes in plants, with the severity of these alterations depending on the duration of exposure. Aims This study aimed to identify promising genotypes derived from the Kırik wheat variety that exhibit superior superior performance in terms of yield, yield components, grain quality, and cold resistance traits. Methods This study was conducted using 186 genotypes purified from Kırik wheat collections obtained from farmers in the Eastern Anatolia Region, along with eight standard varieties. These genotypes were cultivated at altitudes exceeding 1850 meters during the 2019-2022 production seasons based on an augmented design. Key results The results revealed several genotypes with outstanding agronomic and quality traits. Specifically, genotype G-56 demonstrated superior grain yield and grain weight per spike, G102 exhibited the highest number of spikes per square meter, G-140 showed the greatest spike length, G-80 exceled in wet gluten content, hectoliter weight, and gluten index, and G-34 had the highest protein content. Conclusions These findings underscore the potential of Kırik wheat genotypes as valuable genetic resources for addressing both current and emerging challenges in wheat production. Their agronomic performance and resilience highlight their utility in promoting sustainable wheat cultivation under adverse environmental and political conditions. Implications The identified superior genotypes derived from the Kırık variety exhibit notable agronomic and quality characteristics, suggesting their potential utility as parental lines in pre-breeding programs aimed at developing high-performing, climate-resilient wheat varieties

CP25047  Accepted 03 May 2025

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