Effect of vernalization on yield and quality of different growth habit wheat varieties in Aydın ecological conditions

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-sowing vernalization on the agricultural characteristics of wheat varieties acclimated to different growth habits, particularly in geographical regions where plants cannot be vernalized or insufficiently vernalized due to climatic factors or global climate change. Material and Methods: Six different variety of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (Eraybey, Müfitbey, Kaşifbey-95, Meltem, Kayra, and Efe) were sown in randomly assigned subsections of a plot in Aydin province in 2019-2020 growing season with or without 30-day vernalization at 4 ⁰C prior to sowing. Production yield, product quality, and agronomic features were compared between the vernalized and non-vernalized groups as well as between different variety of wheat. Findings: Each variety reacted differently to vernalization and strain was determined to be an important factor in explaining the variation in growth and flowering response to vernalization. Significance levels for the effect of vernalization application as well as vernalization x strain type interaction varied from strain to strain. Shortening of the ear development time was commonly observed in all wheat strains, although the effect size was strain-specific. Vernalization also improved certain physical and chemical properties of the wheat varieties tested. Conclusion: Eraybey variety with a winter nature with vernalization application; Pre-sowing vernalization significantly improved number of grains per spike, per spike production yield, wet gluten amount, gluten index value, and zeleny sedimentation value for the Eraybey variety, which is naturally acclimated to cold climates with winter growing season. Vernalization also positively influenced growth properties of other variety. Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that vernalization process has a different effect on each wheat variety and improves certain agricultural characteristics of some of the strains tested in this study.