Comparative Study between some Arabian Wheat Cultivars Based on Morphological and Yield Characteristics Growing in Egypt

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) considers one of the world’s major cereal crops and a major crop for human consumption with protein and carbohydrates. Four Arabian wheat, T. aestivum L. were collected from Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Iraq. Five cultivars from each country were used in the current study to evaluate these wheat cultivars under the Egyptian conditions based on morphological, biochemical and yield characteristics during 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 harvest seasons. Nine characters were selected, plant height (cm), number of tillers /plants, spikeletes number/spike, number of grains /spikes, 1000 grains weight, grain yield (kg/fed.), straw yield (kg/fed.), biological yield (kg/fed.) and harvest index (%). In addition, cluster analysis was used to detect the genetic distance and similarity among the tested wheat cultivars. The results indicated high significant differences among wheat cultivars in relation to
plant height (cm). Concerning to tillers number per plant ranged from 2 and 2.40 as lowest mean for Mergawey, Kazeno (Libya) to 4.73 and 5.05 as the highest mean Acsad (Yemen) and Gemmeiza 9 (Egypt). Significant variations were observed between the different wheat cultivars in respect to spikeletes/spike. Results indicated that harvest index was linked to the morphological data. Our results
indicated that more than ten wheat cultivars showed high harvest index ranged from 40 to 45.28% in both harvest seasons. Cluster analysis showed all the wheat cultivaes divided into two main groups with 90% gentic similirity, the first group includes the Egyptain wheat (Gemmeiza, 9) in separate cluster, while the second clusters includes all thye tested wheat cultivars in seperates groups. The second main cluster divided into two sub main groups with 93% similirity. Data from phlygentic and relationship showed the different between some arabian wheat and it could be used as indicater in the futuer breeding programes.