Temperature coefficients as a screening test for drought resistance in wheat

Physiological tests for drought resistance are difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, the main procedure that wheat breeders use to determine drought resistance is to grow many cultivars under field conditions and note individual response to drought. Those which yield best under dry conditions are considered to be drought-resistant. The method takes many years. This paper has suggested that it might be possible to predict whether or not a cultivar is drought resistant by calculating Q₁₀ values using climatological information and heading dates. These data are readily available and the Q₁₀ values could be determined quickly. Cultivars with higher Q₁₀ values might be more drought resistant than those with lower values.