PERFORMANCE OF SOME BREAD WHEAT CULTIVARS UNDER NEW LAND CONDITIONS AT MIDDLE EGYPT

Two field experiments were carried out at El-Minia governorate (Middle Egypt) during 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 to evaluate the performance of 14 bread wheat cultivars namely; Gemmiza 9, Gemmiza 10, Gemmiza 11, Gemmiza 12, Sakha94, Sakha 95, Giza 168, Sids 12, Sids 14, Giza 171, Misr 1, Misr 2, Misr 3, and Shandaweel 1 under newly reclaimed lands. Randomized complete block design with four replications was used. The differences among bread wheat cultivars for all studied traits were significant in both seasons except days to heading in the second season and harvest index in both seasons. The results indicated that Gemmiza 12 recorded the lowest number of days to heading. Shandaweel 1 showed the earliest maturity than the other cultivars. Gemmiza 9 and 10 recorded the tallest plants in first season and Gemmiza 9 and Sakha 95 in the second season. Sids 12 produced the highest number of kernels spike-1 (59 kernels) in the first season, while it was (55 kernels) for Sids 12 and Misr 1 in the second season. Misr 3 recorded the highest number of spikes m-2. Giza 171 produced the highest values for 1000- kernel weight in both seasons (48.64 g and 39.01 g, respectively). The highest grain yield was obtained from Misr 3 in both seasons without significant differences among cultivars Gemmiza 10, Gemmiza 11, Sakha 94, Sakha 95, Sids 12, Misr 1, and Misr 2 in the first season and among Misr 2 and Giza 171 without significant differences in the second season. Meanwhile, Misr 3 recorded the highest biological yield in both seasons. Shandaweel 1 recorded the lowest number of grain filling duration (13.0 and 18.0), growing degree days (GDD) at grain filling stage (157.7 and 273.2), and growing degree days (GDD) at maturity stage (1317.8 and 1363.2) in both seasons. Significant and positive correlations were found between grain yield and biological yield, grain filling duration with growing degree days at filling stage and growing degree days at maturity stage, and growing degree days at filling stage with growing degree days at maturity stage. These results indicated the superiority and the suitability of Misr 3 and Misr 2 and high potentiality under the newly reclaimed lands at El-Minia Governorate.