Pramod Kumar Pal

Morpho Physio and Genetic Diversity Analysis on Indian Wheat Genotypes: Evaluation of Wheat Genotypes Under Drought Stress Pramod Kumar Pal

Wheat is the major cereal crop of the world and cultivated over diverse climatic conditions. In last few years, climatic conditions have been drastically changed. Most part of the world is under low water availability especially in South Asia and Africa. In India, 29 % of the total cultivable area faces drought condition out of which 10 % is under severe drought. Drought threaten the agricultural productivity of many developing countries, especially in South Asia and Africa, to feed their ever growing population. Drought is one of the most common environmental stresses that affects growth and development of plants through alterations in metabolism and gene expression. It is a permanent constraint to agricultural production in developing countries. Improving drought tolerance and productivity is one of the most difficult tasks for researchers. In addition to this, the meager availability of drought resistant cultivars further adds to the problem. It is therefore, necessary to appraise and screen wheat genetic resources to identify the sources of the resistance for breeders to construct new wheat varieties.