Evaluating the performance of doubled haploid derived from synthetic hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under juvenile heat stress condition

Abstract

Abstract Global food security faces two major challenges, the exponentially increasing population and the constantly shifting environmental conditions which necessitate the development of way outs to improve crop productivity. One of the approaches involve the exploration and evaluation of genetic resources, especially wild relatives of crop, to enhance their ability to tolerate environment stress. Thus, an experiment was conducted to screen the doubled haploid derived from two synthetic wheats and two hexaploid wheats i.e., SHW14102 x BWL4444, SHW14102 x BWL3531 and SHW3761 x BWL4444 along with five check cultivars sown for two distinct sowing dates for the years 2020–21 and 2021–2022. In this study, augmented design was employed. The doubled haploids were assessed for phenological, physiological and yield traits. Genetic variability analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering were shown to be valuable methods in determining the best lines for juvenile heat stress. Based on the results of genetic variability analysis, 100 double haploids (DH) out of 390 population were selected for further multivariate analysis. According to the, PCA and cluster analysis the (100) were screened for yield traits and differentiated into three clusters. Cluster 1 had maximum value for grain yield, biomass and thousand grain weight thus, suggesting those as a potential germplasm.