Variation in stomatal size and density of barley genotypes under drought stress and normal conditions

Stomatal traits are of interest in physiological studies and in the development of cultivars to improve to drought resistance. To consider effect of terminal drought stress on Stomatal traits of barely genotypes, a field experiment was conducted in research farm of Zanjan University in 1390-1391. The experiment was done on two groups of barely genotypes including 32 landraces genotypes selected from ICARDA barely gene pool and 24 Iranian cultivars in simple lattice design in both well-watered and terminal drought condition by stopping watering after flowering time. Significant variation was found in stomatal frequency and size between genotypes in both flag leaf surfaces in drought and control conditions. Stomatal frequency was negatively correlated with stomatal size. There were significant changes in genotype rank order for stomatal frequency and size in different water stress conditions. Results showed that Stomatal frequency increased under dry environment and the effects of drought stress on the Stomatal traits in lower surface of leaf stomatal are more than upper surface.