Evaluation of wheat genotypes tolerance to induced osmotic stress at the seedling stage

Abstract

The paper evaluated the tolerance of 19 wheat genotypes in the seedling stage grown in hydroponic conditions to induced osmotic stress. Desiccation osmotic stress simulating natural drought stress was induced using the chemical compound polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000). Tolerance of genotypes to induced osmotic stress is shown by stress indices: stress tolerance index (STI) and stress sensitivity index (SSI). The most sensitive to induced osmotic stress were the Pobeda and Ingenio genotypes, whose SSI index values were 2,49 and 2,10. The most tolerant to osmotic stress was the F1 progeny Dika x Donska with an SSI index value of 0,24. The highest values of the STI index were recorded in the Phoenix (1,11) and Ingenio (1,00) genotypes, while the genotypes Pobeda x Brigant (0,70), NS 40S (0,71) and WWBMC2 (0,76) had the three lowest STI index values. Five F1 genotypes stood out as superior in both optimal and osmotic stress conditions: Dika x Donska, WWBMC2 x Ingenio, Dika x Ingenio, Pobeda x Donska, Phoenix x NS 40S. The examined genotypes from the territory of Serbia (Pobeda, Zemunska Rosa and NS 40S) showed a high sensitivity to osmotic stress and a high potential for large biomass production.