A study on the yield and quality characteristics of some bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars grown at different sowing densities under Çukurova conditions

This study was conducted during the 2024–2025 growing season at the Research and Experimental Fields of the Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Çukurova University. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot layout and three replications. The results obtained from cultivating four bread wheat cultivars (Adana-99, Özkan, Gökkan, and Ahsen) at five different sowing densities (350, 450, 550, 650, and 750 seeds/m²) were evaluated. The parameters investigated included the number of plants, stems, and spikes per square meter; number of stems and spikes per plant; heading–maturity duration; heading duration; plant height; spike length; number of spikelets per spike; number of grains per spike; grain weight per spike; thousand-grain weight; and grain yield. Quality parameters measured were hectoliter weight, grain moisture content, grain starch content, grain protein content, sedimentation value, wet gluten content, alveograph value, and grain hardness. The results showed that the number of plants, stems, and spikes per square meter increased significantly with sowing density. The number of stems and spikes per plant was also significantly affected by sowing density but tended to decrease as the density increased. Heading duration and heading–maturity duration differed significantly among cultivars, but sowing density had no statistically significant effect on these traits. Plant height was not significantly influenced by either cultivar or sowing density. Spike length and the number of spikelets per spike were significantly affected by both cultivar and sowing density, and these traits decreased with increasing sowing density. The number of grains per spike and grain weight per spike did not show significant differences for either factor. Similarly, thousand-grain weight and grain yield were not statistically significant. For quality parameters, neither sowing density nor cultivar had significant effects on protein content, moisture content, wet gluten content, sedimentation value, or alveograph value. However, significant differences among cultivars were observed in hectoliter weight, starch content, and grain hardness. Keywords: Bread wheat, sowing density, yield, quality