Evaluation of Drought-Resistant Wheat and Rice Varieties under Pakistani Agro-Climatic Conditions

Abstract

Drought stress is one of the major abiotic stress factors in limiting crop productivity in Pakistan especially of the staple cereal crops (wheat: Triticum Aestivum and rice: Oryza Sativa). This study is an extensive evaluation study of performance of drought resistant wheat and rice varieties in varying agro climatic conditions for the major growing areas in Pakistan. Field trials have been conducted in the current cropping seasons (2024-2025) to estimate the morphological, physiological and yield related parameters. Key drought tolerance indicators like relative water content, stability of chlorophyll, accumulation of proline and grain yield was measured. Results indicate a considerable variation from variety to variety in that some wheat varieties show improved water use efficiencies and both rice and wheat varieties have a similar yield under water limited conditions. The findings highlight the importance of identifying and propagating drought resistant cultivars in order to increase food security and sustainable agriculture in the water scarce areas.