Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2026)
J Crop Breed 2026, 18(1): 1-15 |
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Hesam A, Pahlevani M, Zeinalinejad K, Esmailzade Moghadam M. (2026). Investigating the Genetic Diversity of Different Wheat Cultivars based on ISSR Markers and Morphological Traits under Water Stress Conditions. J Crop Breed. 18(1), 1-15. doi:10.61882/jcb.2026.1471
URL: http://jcb.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1471-en.html
URL: http://jcb.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1471-en.html
1- Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
2- Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj, Iran
2- Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj, Iran
Abstract: (183 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: Avoiding the occurrence of environmental stresses and their damage to crop production, as well as the increasing consequences of climate change, have prompted plant breeders to continuously help seed producers in dealing with these problems with genetic manipulation. Water deficiency is the most important abiotic stress that threatens wheat farming and production. In this research, a community of wheat cultivars was grown under irrigated and rainfed conditions to determine their response to water deficit stress, and the amount of genetic diversity in these cultivars was measured in terms of stress tolerance, agronomic traits, and ISSR markers.
Methods: The experiment was carried out at Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in the agricultural years of 2018 and 2019. The studied population included 34 varieties of bread wheat from tolerant and resistant to drought germplasm, which are grown in various regions of Iran. In the field, an experiment was carried out to compare the cultivars in two conditions of irrigated cultivation (no stress) and rainfed (water stress) in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications. Important agronomic and morphological traits, such as flag leaf length and width, spike length, plant height, the number of plants per plot, the number of spikes, the number of tillers, the number of seeds per spike, seed weight, and seed yield, were measured during the growing season. Fernandez's drought tolerance index was calculated for all cultivars and analyzed along with other characteristics. The markers obtained from the ISSR primers for the DNA of each cultivar were evaluated, and their scores were analyzed in the laboratory. Necessary statistical analyses, such as analysis of variance, comparison of means, mean comparisons with the LSD test, and cluster analysis, were performed in SAS software. Analyses related to polymorphic marker bands and Nei and Shannon gene indices were performed in POPGEN and NTSYS software.
Results: The results of the analysis of the variance of wheat cultivars showed a significant difference at the probability level of 1 or 5% in all aspects of all measured agronomic characteristics. It confirmed the good choice of the genotypes in terms of type, agronomic characteristics, adaptability, and their origin, which correctly realized the study of variation and grouping of genotypes as the main objective of the study. The highest seed yield in irrigated conditions belonged to cultivars Karkheh, Behrang, and Arta, and in rainfed conditions belonged to s-87-18, Baz, and Zagros. Cultivars Karon, Maron, Ohari, s-87-18, and Zagros showed relatively similar performance under both irrigated and rainfed conditions.
According to the Fernandez index, cultivars Karkheh, S-87-18, Bahar, Chamran, Arta, Pasteur, Baz, Wibil, Behrang, Nik-Nejad, and Hirmand showed the highest tolerance, and Maron, Kavir, Fang-Chen, Zagros, and Gonbad displayed the lowest tolerance to water stress. These values can be directly used as a criterion for selecting high-yielding cultivars under water stress conditions. Cluster analysis of cultivars based on agronomic traits in both stress and non-stress conditions produced three distinct clusters. In the water stress conditions, cluster 1 included two cultivars (s-87-18 and Gohar), and cluster 2 consisted of three cultivars (Maron, Kavir, and Fang Chen). The other 29 cultivars of this study were placed in cluster 3. According to the drought tolerance index value, it could be stated that cluster 1 included drought-tolerant cultivars, cluster 2 included cultivars sensitive to drought stress, and cluster 3 comprised moderate cultivars. The difference in the result of clustering under stress conditions compared to non-stress conditions can be attributed to the effect of drought stress on morphological traits, and in other words, to the different responses of these cultivars in the face of drought. ISSR primers produced a total of 128 bands with an average polymorphism percentage of 93.27% for the 11 used primers. In other words, each primer produced an average of 11.69 bands, and an average PIC index of 0.28 was obtained in the primers used. The Nei and Shannon index values for the studied population were calculated at 0.26 and 0.41, respectively. Cluster analysis based on ISSR data showed that, except for Maron, the other cultivars were separated into three distinguished clusters.
Background: Avoiding the occurrence of environmental stresses and their damage to crop production, as well as the increasing consequences of climate change, have prompted plant breeders to continuously help seed producers in dealing with these problems with genetic manipulation. Water deficiency is the most important abiotic stress that threatens wheat farming and production. In this research, a community of wheat cultivars was grown under irrigated and rainfed conditions to determine their response to water deficit stress, and the amount of genetic diversity in these cultivars was measured in terms of stress tolerance, agronomic traits, and ISSR markers.
Methods: The experiment was carried out at Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in the agricultural years of 2018 and 2019. The studied population included 34 varieties of bread wheat from tolerant and resistant to drought germplasm, which are grown in various regions of Iran. In the field, an experiment was carried out to compare the cultivars in two conditions of irrigated cultivation (no stress) and rainfed (water stress) in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications. Important agronomic and morphological traits, such as flag leaf length and width, spike length, plant height, the number of plants per plot, the number of spikes, the number of tillers, the number of seeds per spike, seed weight, and seed yield, were measured during the growing season. Fernandez's drought tolerance index was calculated for all cultivars and analyzed along with other characteristics. The markers obtained from the ISSR primers for the DNA of each cultivar were evaluated, and their scores were analyzed in the laboratory. Necessary statistical analyses, such as analysis of variance, comparison of means, mean comparisons with the LSD test, and cluster analysis, were performed in SAS software. Analyses related to polymorphic marker bands and Nei and Shannon gene indices were performed in POPGEN and NTSYS software.
Results: The results of the analysis of the variance of wheat cultivars showed a significant difference at the probability level of 1 or 5% in all aspects of all measured agronomic characteristics. It confirmed the good choice of the genotypes in terms of type, agronomic characteristics, adaptability, and their origin, which correctly realized the study of variation and grouping of genotypes as the main objective of the study. The highest seed yield in irrigated conditions belonged to cultivars Karkheh, Behrang, and Arta, and in rainfed conditions belonged to s-87-18, Baz, and Zagros. Cultivars Karon, Maron, Ohari, s-87-18, and Zagros showed relatively similar performance under both irrigated and rainfed conditions.
According to the Fernandez index, cultivars Karkheh, S-87-18, Bahar, Chamran, Arta, Pasteur, Baz, Wibil, Behrang, Nik-Nejad, and Hirmand showed the highest tolerance, and Maron, Kavir, Fang-Chen, Zagros, and Gonbad displayed the lowest tolerance to water stress. These values can be directly used as a criterion for selecting high-yielding cultivars under water stress conditions. Cluster analysis of cultivars based on agronomic traits in both stress and non-stress conditions produced three distinct clusters. In the water stress conditions, cluster 1 included two cultivars (s-87-18 and Gohar), and cluster 2 consisted of three cultivars (Maron, Kavir, and Fang Chen). The other 29 cultivars of this study were placed in cluster 3. According to the drought tolerance index value, it could be stated that cluster 1 included drought-tolerant cultivars, cluster 2 included cultivars sensitive to drought stress, and cluster 3 comprised moderate cultivars. The difference in the result of clustering under stress conditions compared to non-stress conditions can be attributed to the effect of drought stress on morphological traits, and in other words, to the different responses of these cultivars in the face of drought. ISSR primers produced a total of 128 bands with an average polymorphism percentage of 93.27% for the 11 used primers. In other words, each primer produced an average of 11.69 bands, and an average PIC index of 0.28 was obtained in the primers used. The Nei and Shannon index values for the studied population were calculated at 0.26 and 0.41, respectively. Cluster analysis based on ISSR data showed that, except for Maron, the other cultivars were separated into three distinguished clusters.
Conclusion: In general, the results showed a significant genetic variation in the studied population, making it possible to select cultivars with higher tolerance to water stress or cultivation in rainfed conditions. Fortunately, since the studied cultivars are improved and are being cultivated, their direct use or gene transfer for projects will be easier and faster to increase wheat yield in water stress conditions.
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