Impact of drought stress on yield,photosynthesis rate,and sugar alcohols contents in wheat after anthesis in semiarid region of Iran

Owing to the importance of after anthesis water deficit in Mediterranean regions (such as Iran), this study has focused on harmful impact of after anthesis drought stress on grain yield (GY), photosynthesis, and some physiological characteristics of wheat. To this aim, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was used in greenhouse conditions in Razi University in Kermanshah city of Iran, during 2010–2011 growing season. Two bread wheat genotypes, “Zagros” (tolerant to drought) and “Marvdasht” (sensitive to drought) were grown in normal water supply condition (100% of field capacity) and drought stress from anthesis until maturity (50% of field capacity). The results indicated that after anthesis water deficit considerably reduced grain and biological yields, thousand grain weight (TGW) and a number of grains per spike (NGS) among different traits in genotypes. Under well-watered and drought-treated conditions, genotypes in terms of all evaluated traits had considerable variations. Water deficit caused more reduction of net photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), relative water content (RWC) of leaf, chlorophyll a, b (Chl), and soluble proteins content in sensitive genotype; values were respectively 66.3, 73.2, 14.6, 32.1, 46.2, and 25.6%. Better performance of tolerant genotype under water deficit was associated with a great ability in production of some osmoprotectants as inositol, glycerol, and erythritol sugars. Rather adaptation of tolerant genotype to water deficit may be attributable to having maximum soluble protein, sugar alcohols, Chl content, RWC, gs and Pn in drought stress, and with respect to the results, wheat might not be able to synthesize mannitol. Transfer of gene(s) producing mannitol may cause more improvement of growth performance of wheat under stresses.