EVALUATION OF GROWTH AND GAS EXCHANGE RATES OF TWO LOCAL SAUDI WHEAT CULTIVARS GROWN UNDER HEAT STRESS CONDITIONS

Abstract

The present study investigated the effects of three temperature regimes, low (20ºC), moderate (25ºC) and high (30ºC), on growth and physiological parameters of two local Saudi wheat (Triticum durum) cultivars, Hab-Ahmar and Algaimi. Plants were grown under controlled environment in growth chambers. After four weeks plants were harvested and the following growth parameters were measured; plant height, number of tillers, leaf area, root length, fresh and dry weight. Physiological traits include chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rates, stomatal conductance, dark respiration and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters; Fo, Fm and Fv/Fm. In cultivar Hab-Ahmar, moderate and high temperatures caused significant decrease in most growth and physiological parameters such as plant height, number of tillers, leaf area, fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rates, stomatal conductance, dark respiration and the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm). In contrast, cv. Algaimi was shown to be more thermotolerant to moderate and high temperatures, with the exception of some growth parameters that were decreased. Unlike cultivar Hab-Ahmar, cultivar Algaimi had an increased rate of dark respiration when temperature was high (30ºC). Stomatal behavior is shown to be positively correlated with the rates of photosynthesis in both cultivars; however, in cultivar Hab-Ahmar such correlation decreased as temperature increased.