Effect of drought stress and chemical fertilizers on wheat productivity and grain and quality

The present experiment aimed to investigate the effect of the combined application of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers on the growth, yield, and quality of wheat grains under drought stress conditions. Minaminokaori and Lalemi-2 varieties were used in this experiment. The experimental treatments were nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizers, and drought stress. These cultivars were exposed to three levels of drought stress (well-irrigated, mild, and severe drought) after the flowering stage. The results showed that drought stress decreased wheat growth, grain yield, starch content, and water-soluble pentosan, but increased crude protein and phytate phosphorus content in both cultivars. The highest grain yield and grain starch content under normal irrigation and drought stress conditions belonged to Lalemi-2 cultivar. Whereas, Minaminokaori had the highest amount of grain crude protein, total pentosan, water-soluble pentosane, and phytate phosphorus. Moreover, the results of this experiment showed that the application of adequate amounts of NPK fertilizers could mitigate the adverse effects of drought stress. Furthermore, the selection of drought-tolerant genotypes such as Lalemi-2 cultivar is useful for minimizing drought-induced damage.