Climate-Resilient Bread Wheat for Arid Environments: Adaptation and Yield Performance of Diverse Genotypes Across Contrasting Growing Conditions

Performance Evaluation of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties under Ethiopian Agro-ecological Conditions

The experiment was conducted at four locations over two years, from June, 2023 to December, 2024. The study evaluated the performance of 30 bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties across seven Ethiopian agro-ecological environments during the 2023–2024 cropping season. The objective of the study was to identify high-yielding, stable, and disease-tolerant bread wheat genotypes suitable for sustainable wheat production across diverse Ethiopian agro-ecological environments. The combined analysis of variance revealed that the environment contributed the largest proportion of the total variation (74.51%), followed by genotype×environment interaction (19.77%), whereas genotypic differences accounted for only 5.71% of the variation. Grain yield ranged from 5.45 t ha-1 for Digalu to 7.51 t ha-1 for Kulumsa in 2023, with newer wheat varieties consistently outperforming older cultivars. The GGE biplot analysis revealed that the first two principal components explained 71.94% of the genotype×environment interaction (G×E) variation, confirming the reliability of the model for assessing genotype stability and adaptability across environments. Newly released varieties such as Kulumsa, Deka, Honqolo, and Balcha demonstrated superior grain yield and desirable agronomic traits, whereas older varieties such as Digalu, Dashen, and Kubsa showed relatively lower performance. These findings highlight the genetic progress achieved through Ethiopian wheat breeding programs and emphasize the importance of continuous variety evaluation to sustain wheat productivity under changing agro-ecological conditions.

Do modern winter wheat cultivars outperform traditional landraces under cold stress? A large-scale agro-morphological evaluation.

BACKGROUND Cold stress remains a primary abiotic constraint limiting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity in high-altitude environments. While landraces represent an underexplored reservoir of adaptive traits, integrating their genetic diversity with modern breeding goals requires advanced selection tools. This study evaluated the agro-morphological performance, quality characteristics, and cold hardiness of 180 purified wheat landraces together with six registered cultivars (checks), totaling 186 genotypes from Eastern Anatolia. Using an augmented experimental design over two growing seasons in Erzurum, Türkiye, we aimed to integrate stability parameters with modern multi-trait selection indices (MGIDI and FAI-BLUP) to identify superior genotypes for continental climates. Adjusted means were obtained using a mixed model approach, and genotype effects were estimated as best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs), which were subsequently used for multivariate analyses. RESULTS Substantial genotypic variation was observed across all traits. A significant yield gap was detected, with registered cultivars outperforming landraces in mean grain yield (2751.9 kg ha⁻¹ vs. 1556.5 kg ha⁻¹), whereas landraces demonstrated superior grain physical properties, particularly in thousand-kernel weight. Cold tolerance screening identified critical survival thresholds: all cultivars and 28 landraces survived at - 13 °C, while only seven landraces-maintained viability at - 15 °C. At - 19 °C, only the cultivar Alparslan survived. MGIDI analysis confirmed the agronomic superiority of modern cultivars (G181-G186), which ranked closest to the multi-trait ideotype at a 15% selection intensity. However, specific landraces (G81 and G173) emerged as highly divergent genotypes, successfully bridging the gap between landrace-driven grain quality and cultivar-driven cold resilience. CONCLUSION The integration of multi-trait indices enabled more robust identification of elite germplasm compared to traditional ranking approaches. While modern cultivars demonstrated a clear adaptive advantage in cold-prone environments, the identified elite landraces serve as valuable reservoirs of adaptive genetic variation. Genotypes G183, G181 (Alparslan), G81, and G184 are recommended as primary parental resources for breeding programs aiming to combine high yield potential with extreme cold resilience under fluctuating climatic conditions. This study offers one of the first large-scale integrations of traditional landrace diversity with modern multi-trait selection indices under extreme continental conditions, providing a practical framework for ideotype-oriented breeding in cold-prone environments.

Phenotypic variation in drought response for a double-haploid population of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Yield Performance, Stability and Grain Quality of Spring Barley Genotypes under Climatic Variability

Spring barley is a crop of major agronomic and industrial importance, widely used for malting and well suited to short crop rotations due to its reduced vegetation period. Under current climate change conditions, the identification of genotypes that combine high yield potential with stable performance across diverse environments is of increasing importance. During the period 2021-2023, a total of 25 spring barley genotypes were evaluated at the Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Turda in a comparative field trial arranged in a randomized block design with five replications. Grain yield was assessed in relation to key agronomic traits and grain quality parameters. Two advanced breeding lines, To 2033/18 and To 1990/18, recently registered as the varieties Ioana and Dumbrăvița, were additionally tested within the national SITRV multilocation network. The variety Ioana achieved grain yields ranging from 6,000 to 7,700 kg/ha, with maximum values recorded at the Dej and Sibiu locations, indicating a high yield potential under favorable conditions. Dumbrăvița recorded yields between 5.500 and 6.800 kg/ha and showed a high degree of yield stability across environments. Protein content varied between 10.28% and 11.38%. Compared with the standard variety Romaniţa, both newly registered cultivars demonstrated clear genetic progress. Ioana is a high-yielding malting-type variety recommended for intensive cropping systems, while Dumbrăvița is characterized by high stability and ecological plasticity, being well adapted to variable pedoclimatic conditions.

PRODUCTIVITY AND ADAPTABILITY OF SPRING BREAD WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) VARIETIES IN DIFFERENT AGRO-CLIMATIC ZONES OF KOSTANAY REGION

The study presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of productivity and adaptability of six spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties under contrasting agro-climatic conditions of Kostanay Region, Northern Kazakhstan. Field experiments were conducted during 2022- 2024 in two agro-climatic zones represented by Bannovka (ACZ-1) and Sadchikovka (ACZ-2) under two agronomic backgrounds: fallow and cereal stubble. The varieties Patricia, Granny, KWS Buran, Odintsovskaya, Inzhu and Aina were evaluated for grain yield and grain quality traits to determine their adaptive responses to environmental conditions. The results demonstrated that grain yield was significantly influenced by agro-climatic conditions, hydrothermal regime and predecessor type. The fallow background provided a yield advantage ranging from 11 to 21 c ha⁻¹ compared with cereal stubble. Significant varietal differences were identified in Agro-Climatic Zone 2 (p = 0.039), indicating differential genotype responses to environmental factors. The varieties Patricia, Granny and KWS Buran exhibited the highest productivity and adaptability under contrasting growing conditions. Grain quality traits were influenced primarily by weather conditions during the growing season rather than by varietal characteristics. The obtained results may be used to optimize varietal composition and develop adaptive cultivation technologies for spring bread wheat under increasing climatic aridization in Northern Kazakhstan.

Genotype x Environmental Interplay and Yield Stability Evaluation on Bread Wheat Genotypes in North Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Wheat is one of Ethiopia’s most imperative food safety plants. Demand for wheat in Ethiopia has been growing over the years. But, wheat imports improved during the last five years. The know-how of the interaction between genotypes and the environments with yield and its components is a number one aspect of effective selection in crop improvement. Therefore, this looks at aimed to perceive bread wheat genotypes with high grain yield ranges, yield stability and disease tolerance across locations. The study used 20 bread wheat genotypes inclusive of one local and one standard check (Sanate) at fitche agricultural research center (FiARC) within the 2022-2023 essential cropping seasons. 8 agronomic traits and 4 economically essential disease reaction data were evaluated. Analysis of variance detected significant differences among genotypes in both separated and combined evaluation of variance (ANOVA). The mixed ANOVA and the additive main effects and multiplicative interactions (AMMI) evaluation for grain yield across check environments exhibited, vast outcomes via environments, explained 12.5% of the entire variation. The genotype and genotype environmental interplay (GEI) had been great and accounted for 36.5% and 35.5%, respectively. Essential additives (PCA1 and PCA2) accounted for 16.9% and 11.6% of the GEI respectively, with 28.5% of the whole version. Normally, G124 and G127 had been recognized as ideal genotypes in-terms of yield, stability, and tolerance to the respective disease reactions and can be encouraged for use as parental line within the future breeding packages.