Journal of Plant Process and Function

Abstract Study of physiological reactions of recombinant inbreed lines (RILs) to drought stress could help to identify the actual drought tolerance mechanisms. In this view a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of drought stress on chlorophyll content , leaf proline content, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, peduncle length and plant height using 169 RILs, in the two separate simple Latis design with four replications using two moisture regime f normal and water deficit stress. Irrigation regimes performed based on Class A-pan of 70 and 130 mm evaporation from Class -A -pan and moisture content of soil in effected root depth. The RILs were obtained by crossing between a tolerant and sensitive wheat cultivar. The result of analysis of variance showed a significant difference among RILs. Drought stress caused a decrease in the chlorophyll content, leaf width, leaf length, peduncle length, leaf area and increase in the proline content. Although drought stress increased the proline content and decreased the peduncle length and leaf area in both tolerant and sensitive line groups, but these declines in tolerant lines was lower than sensitive lines. Therefore, It may be possible to use the physiological traits comprising proline amino acid content, peduncle length and leaf area as a selection tool for selecting drought tolerant lines in bread wheat.