The aim of this study was to evaluate twenty-five common bean genotypes for terminal drought stress. Simple lattice designs were used with two replications under stress and non-stress growing conditions on the field. The experiment was performed using irrigation water during the dry season (December-March). Up to flowering, the stress plots were irrigated and the non-stress plots were provided with water up to physiological maturity. Under both stress and non-stress conditions, several plant characteristics related to yield were assessed. The generated data in this study was subject to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS software version 9.0.0. Data from non-stress (NS) and drought stress (DS) treatments were compared to assess the effect of drought stress or water regime on yield-related traits. In order to perform a combined analysis of variance, the datasets from the two treatments were combined (ANOVA). In this experiment, all the genotypes used showed significant differences in yield and some of the components of yield. For all the characteristics measured, except for flowering days, there were substantial variations between the two water treatments. There was no significant correlation between genotypes and water treatments for almost all the traits tested, with the exception of days to flowering, harvest index and root pulling resistance. Genotypes such as SER 125, MALB-67, MALB-65, MALB-51 and MALB-3 performed better under the two water treatments on the basis of mean productivity (MP) and geometric mean (GM). Understanding the relationships between plant characteristics related to drought stress tolerance and their genetic variability for stress-related grain yield, especially terminal water stress conditions, should prompt common bean breeders to take better measurements of yield and more comprehensive features of drought response.
Evaluation of growth and seed yield of new winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) genotypes under terminal drought stress conditions
