FLAG LEAF STOMATAL FREQUENCY AND ITS INTERRELATIONSHIP WITH YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS IN WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.)

Abstract

Three tall (C591, H-68 and H-23-42) and 5 semi-dwarf (Pavon, Pak-81, Mehran, Kohinoor and Sarsabz) cultivars of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown in the experimental field of Nuclear Institute of Agricultur (NIA) TandoJam for 3 consecutive years to study the stomatal frequency in the flag leaf and its interrelationships with yield and yield components. The cultivars showed significant differences with respect to stomatal frequency, yield and yield components. Higher stomatal frequency in flag leaf was positively associated with yield and yield components. The cultivar Sarsabz having significant superiority in yield and yield components also showed significantly (p<0.05) higher stomatal frequency at adaxial and abaxial surface of flag leaf as compared to other cultivars. Stomatal frequency of flag leaf thus provided a new selection criterion for screening of high yielding varieties of bread wheat.