Genotypic Characterization of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) for Physiological Attributes Associated with Water Stress Tolerance

Abstract

Drought has an impact on agricultural growth and development, which significantly reduces output and degrades produce quality. Fifty cotton genotypes were tested in the field for performance under artificially produced water deficit stress conditions. In 2015, sowing was carried out in the first week of May with two sets of every genotype in each replication. While the other set continued to be stressed by a water shortage, one set was regularly irrigated. The crop was allowed to grow for a duration of four weeks. Data on various physiological markers related to different genotypes' resistance to water stress were gathered. The findings showed that under normal and stressful conditions, the genotypes differed significantly (p 0.01) in a number of physiological variables e.g.  relative water content, cell damage, leaf water potential, excised leaf water loss, osmotic potential, and stomatal conductance. For the several variables examined, very significant interactions (p0.01) were also found between genotypes and water stress. The genotypes include (Include nut shell results indicating susceptible and tolerant varieties)