Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Yield traits analysis in wild wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) populations under different environments
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Ababneh Maysoon, Ajlouni Mohammad, Al-Tawaha Abdel Razzaq, Al-Hajaj Nawal
Research Articles | Published: 27 August, 2025
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Keywords: n Triticumturgidum ssp. dicoccoidesn , Climate change, Drought, Heat stress
Abstract
Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a globally significant staple crop that sustains a large proportion of the world’s population. However, its productivity is increasingly limited by abiotic stresses, especially heat and drought, which are intensified by climate change. In arid and semi-arid regions like Jordan, rising temperatures and water scarcity create significant challenges for wheat production and food security. The limited genetic diversity of modern wheat cultivars restricts their ability to adapt, highlighting the need to explore wild wheat relatives for breeding climate-resilient varieties. Wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides), the direct ancestor of modern durum wheat, possesses significant genetic variation that can be leveraged to improve stress tolerance and yield stability. However, its responses to varying environmental conditions have not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to assess the agronomic performance and stress adaptation potential of wild emmer wheat accessions collected from diverse regions in Jordan. A total of 20 wheat accessions, including 14 T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides populations and six T. turgidum ssp. durum cultivars were evaluated in two contrasting environments: Maru (representing a heat-stressed, low-rainfall site) and Ajloun (a cooler, higher-rainfall site) during the 2020/2021 growing season. The experiment followed an incomplete block design, and key phenotypic traits—including days to heading (DH), total tiller number per plant (TN), and spike number per plant (SP)—were recorded. Broad-sense heritability (H²) was estimated for these traits, and correlation analyses were performed to determine trait relationships under varying environmental conditions. Significant genetic variation was observed among accessions for yield-related traits (p < 0.001), with notable differences in stress response between environments. Wild emmer wheat exhibited delayed heading under heat stress, with a significant negative correlation between heading date and spike number (-0.68) in Maru. Broad-sense heritability estimates ranged from 0.53 to 0.62, indicating a moderate to high genetic contribution to trait expression. Accessions Wild No. 1 and Wild No. 7 exhibited superior tiller and spike production across both locations, highlighting their potential as valuable genetic resources for wheat breeding programs. These findings emphasize the importance of conserving wild wheat germplasm for breeding climate-resilient wheat. Future studies integrating molecular approaches such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection are recommended to accelerate the identification of key stress-resilient traits and facilitate the development of climate-adaptive wheat cultivars.
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National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Baq’a, Jordan