Evaluation of Bread Wheat Genotypes for Grain Yield and Physiomorphological Traits Related to Drought Tolerance inParticipatory Plant Breeding Program

Enhancement of genetic diversity in rainfed wheat field and more attention toward specific adaptation for promoting production efficiency of microclimates in rainfed areas of Iran, are effective approaches to cope with dominant biotic and abiotic stresses and one of the effective methods to reach to these cases is to conduct a part of plant breeding program of research stations in farmers’ field (target environments) and utilizing of farmers’ indigenous knowledge and experience, through participatory plant breeding (PPB). In 2009-2010, twenty on advanced bread wheat genotypes and three checks were evaluated in PPB in Zafaran village, Islam Abad region, Kermanshah province, Iran, for grain yield, agronomic traits, physio-morphological traits related to drought tolerance such as assimilate remobilization to grain, early growth vigor, flag leaf green color intensity (SPAD reading), canopy temperature utilizing a spatial unreplicated statistical designs. Six genotypes out-yielded the best check, i.e. Rijaw. For remobilization ability Azar-2 was the superior check and two genotypes were better than Azar-2 and three genotypes were equal to this cultivar for remobilization ability. Correlation analysis reveal that average farmers’ score had positive significant correlation (P= 5%) with grain yield, indicating that farmers selection based on physical appearance of crop is reliable for selecting superior genotypes.