Methods for evaluation of wheat breeding material for drought tolerance

Abstract

Wheat is one of the most valuable cereals on the planet and plays a leading role in the food supply of mankind. The range of wheat is very large, since it is cultivated on five continents in most countries of the world. The genetic improvement of wheat is crucial because of its direct impact on the economic development, international grain trade and food security of the country, so the relevance of research in solving many genetic-breeding problems regarding this crop is growing and acquires a qualitatively new character. The increase in productivity is the most important criterion in the cultivation of any crops, in particular wheat. Drought is one of the main limiting environmental factors that reduce plant productivity. In order to guarantee agriculture from losses in dry years, it is necessary to have varieties tolerant to moisture deficiency. That is why one of the priority areas of wheat breeding is the creation of varieties tolerant to the action of water deficiency. The success of breeding when creating drought tolerant forms largely depends on the correct assessment of the degree of their tolerance. Conducting research on the assessment of genotypes for tole­rance to water stress is one of conditions for increasing efficiency of the breeding process of this culture. The results obtained in the analysis of literature data, found that for screening of wheat varieties for drought tolerance there are many methods based on different principles of action, and each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. To accelerate the breeding process and obtain reliable results, it is necessary to apply various methods of researching samples on specific signs of tolerance to stress. The choice of method largely depends on the degree of its complexity, the duration of the assessment and throughput. Therefore, the creation of new and improvement of existing methods for assessing wheat breeding material for drought tolerance in conditions of increasing water deficit or temperature increase will make it possible to objectively characterize the level of adaptability of promising genotypes and predict their behavior in appropriate environmental conditions.