Mitigating abiotic stresses: A study on Pannonian basin wheat cultivars facing drought, cold and heat

Abstract

Environmental stresses such as drought, cold and heat in Pannonia Basin significantly endanger the cell activity, plant growth and yields in wheat, which is one of the most strategic cereal grain crops in the world. As science and technology advance, new tools are developed while old ones are refined for use by breeders. Higher agronomical efficiency is possible by combining new and old tools to bridge the abiotic stress issues. Five cultivars of winter wheat (Simonida, Petrija, Ljubica, Zvezdana and NS Mila), were used in the study carried out at our experimental field (Novi Sad as a center of Pannonia Basin) across three consecutive growing seasons to assess genetic interaction and the level of tolerance and adaptability of different cultivars to abiotic stresses like drought conditions, cold and heat. Four quantitative yield components and grain yield were analiyed to assess expression of adapted genotypes in the region. Among the cultivars, Simonida, which has been in use for the longest period, exhibited the most consistent yield response. Additionally, it demonstrated some degree of partial tolerance to abiotic stress conditions, possibly due to the integration of stress memory into its genetic code, supported by statistical analysis findings.