Five bread wheat varieties with different characteristics were crossed in a half-diallel model in 2005/2006 season. The five parents and their 10 F1 hybrids were evaluated under normal and water stress conditions during 2006/2007 season, to estimate heterosis of some wheat crosses for drought tolerance and selecting the crosses which could be useful in breeding programs for drought tolerance. The results indicated that, the best crosses over their mid parents at water stress condition for days to heading was Sakha-61 × Sakha-93; for flag leaf area were Giza-168 × Gemmeiza-9 and Sakha-61 × Gemmeiza-9 and for plant height was Sakha-61 × Sakha-93. The best crosses over their mid parents at both normal and stress conditions for days to maturity was Sakha-61 × Gemmeiza-9; for flag leaf area were Giza-168 × Sakha-61, Sakha-8 × Gemmeiza-9 and Sakha-93 × Gemmeiza-9; for spikes/plant were Sakha-8 × Sakha-61, Sakha-8 × Gemmeiza-9 and Sakha-61 × Sakha-93; for kernels/spike were Giza-168 × Sakha-8, Giza-168 × Sakha-61, Giza-168 × Sakha-93 and Sakha-8 × Gemmeiza-9; for 100-kernel weight were Giza-168 × Gemmeiza-9, Sakha-61 × Sakha-93 and Sakha-93 × Gemmeiza-9 and for grain yield/plant were Giza-168 × Sakha-93, Sakha-8 × Gemmeiza-9 and Sakha-93 × Gemmeiza-9. The best crosses over their better parents at water stress condition for flag leaf area were Giza-168 × Sakha-8, Giza-168 × Gemmeiza-9 and Sakha-8 × Gemmeiza-9; for plant height were Giza-168 × Gemmeiza-9 and Sakha-8 × Sakha-61. The best crosses over better parents at both normal and stress conditions for plant height were Giza-168 × Sakha-8, Sakha-8 × Gemmeiza-9 and Sakha-93 × Gemmeiza-9; for spikes/plant were Sakha-8 × Sakha-61, Sakha-61 × Sakha-93 and Sakha-8 × Gemmeiza-9; for kernels/spike were Giza-168 × Sakha-61 and Giza-168 × Sakha-93 and for grain yield/plant were Sakha-61 × Sakha-93 and Sakha-93 × Gemmeiza-9. Estimation of useful heterosis over better parent for grain yield/plant proved that it never exceeds 10.16% at normal condition (cross Giza-168 × Gemmeiza-9) and 12.76% at stress condition (cross Sakha-93 × Gemmeiza-9). Useful segregate could be selected from such hybrids as hybrids wheat are still under experimentation in Egypt.

alleles, crosses, crossing, cultivars, drought, droughtresistance, flag leaf, heterosis, hybrids, irrigation, leaves, maturity,plant height, plant water relations, spikes, water stress, wheat, Egypt,Triticum, Triticum aestivum, North Africa, Africa, Mediterranean Region,Middle East, Developing Countries, Triticum, Poaceae, Cyperales,monocotyledons, angiosperms, Spermatophyta, plants, eukaryotes,cultivated varieties, drought tolerance, hybrid vigor, hybrid vigour,outbreeding enhancement, watering, Field Crops (FF005) (New March 2000),Plant Breeding and Genetics (FF020), Plant Water Relations (FF062),Environmental Tolerance of Plants (FF900), Soil Water Management(Irrigation and Drainage) (JJ800) (Revised June 2002) [formerly SoilWater Management]

• Journal Article

• Cropping Systems
• Drought
• Irrigation Management