Effect of post-anthesis drought stress on yield, yield components and canopy temperature of bread wheat cultivars

Wheat grain yield is reduced by post-anthesis drought stress conditions in most wheat growing farmlands of Iran. To evaluate the effect of post-anthesis-withholding irrigation on yield, yield components and canopy temperature of wheat cultivars, a field experiment was conducted as split plot in a completely randomized block design with four replications at experimental farm of college of Agriculture, Shiraz University during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 growing seasons. Irrigation regimes (normal and cut off after anthesis) and bread wheat cultivars (40 cultivars) were assigned in main plots and subplots, respectively. The results showed that post-anthesis withholding irrigation significantly reduced grain yield, grain number per unit area, 1000 grain weight, biological yield, harvest index, canopy temperature depression (CTD) index, rate of biological yield accumulation, grain yield production rate and grain filling rate. Maximum grain yield under normal irrigation conditions belonged to Shiroudi (8864 kg.ha-1), Navid (8440kg.ha-1) and Karaj-2 (8403 kg.ha-1) cultivars, whereas in the late season drought stress conditions, Moghan-2 (4445 kg.ha-1) and Adl (4179 kg.ha-1) had maximum grain yield. Positive and significant correlation between grain yield and CTD under two irrigation regimes suggested that CTD might be a good indicator for selecting of drought resistant cultivars for late season water deficit, as well as high grain yield under normal irrigation conditions.