CONTRIBUTION OF SOME AGRONOMIC TRAITS TO DURUM-WHEAT PERFORMANCE IN A DRY MEDITERRANEAN REGION OF NORTHERN SYRIA

The study assessed the possible role of some agronomic traits in an integrated breeding approach to select durum wheats for a dry Mediterranean region in Northern Syria. Sixty-three entries of various origins, previously tested for adaptation to the target region, were grown at 2 locations during 2 seasons sharply contrasting for rainfall amount and distribution, and definable on the whole as ''favorable' and ''unfavorable'' for the crop in the area. While heading and maturity time and kernel number/spike always correlated with grain yield, other traits correlated either in the wetter or in the drier season. The capability of each trait to identify materials with high and stable yield across the contrasting seasons was assessed by discriminant analysis. Early heading and high kernel number/spike were consistent features of these materials. However, the contribution of these traits to genotype discrimination proved rather limited when combined with grain yield information. Multivariate comparison among the best genotypes showed that similar yield responses could be attained by genotypes with very differing architectures of favorable traits.