Post anthesis stages moisture deficit stress and grain nutritional quality in wheat genotypes

Abstract

Impact of post anthesis moisture stress imposed for 10, 17 and 24 days on nutritional quality was investigated in ten leading wheat varieties, viz., RSP-566, RSP-561, PBW-396, HD-2687, C-306, PBW-175, RSP-81, PBW-550, DBW-17 and WH-542. PBW-175 and RSP-561 were found highly drought stress tolerant genotypes, possessing highest values and lowest reduction in relative water content under all duration of water stress. As an impact on grain quality, a declining trend in starch levels and raising trends in total protein and total sugar levels were recorded with increasing intensity of moisture stress. Under normal irrigated condition, both starch and total protein contents were highest in HD-2687 and RSP-561, whereas PBW-175 carried highest total sugar content with low level of starch content. However, under moisture stress condition drought sensitive HD-2687 and RSP-566 showed higher increase in levels of total protein and sugar with maximum decay in starch level under all moisture stress conditions, whereas moisture stress tolerant RSP-561, PBW-396 and PBW-175 were able to maintain highest starch content with less increase in total protein and total sugar levels.