Comparative solute accumulation in wheat and barley genotypes under drought and salinity stresses

To investigate the variation of osmotic adjustment (OA) components ten wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and five barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes were field grown under well watered, drought, and salinity stresses conditions. Combined analyses of variance for each specie showed significant differences for traits of total dry matter. relative water content and water loss, ash content, and flag leaf area. Bafgi and Faiz from wheat and barley genotypes had more total dry matter at three conditions. In versus, Falat and Arigashar were the lowest value. Due to lack of preventing uptake of Na⁺, barley genotypes had more capacity of Na⁺ accumulation than wheat genotypes 4.3 and 0.7 mM/g, respectively. Within wheat genotypes, avoidance mechanism from drought stress with decreasing velocity of relative water loss was more obvious. Barley genotypes due to more relative water loss had lower relative water content, which resulted increasing accumulation of soluble sugars. Under drought stress, reduction percent of flag leaf area in barley and wheat genotypes were 15 and 23%, respectively. Also barley genotypes had shorter period of growth (escape mechanism from drought stress).