Investigation of advanced durum wheat lines for agromorphological and quality characteristics

This study aims to evaluate durum wheat (Triticum durum) genotypes cultivated in different regions of Türkiye in terms of yield, quality, and technological traits. The research was conducted during the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 growing seasons in Mersin and Adana provinces, respectively. A total of 400 genotypes, including 395 advanced breeding lines and 5 standard check cultivars, were tested using an alpha lattice design with two replications. Agronomic traits (such as plant height, heading time, and grain yield) and quality traits (including crude protein, wet gluten, and starch content) were analyzed. The collected data were subjected to variance analysis, and statistically significant differences were observed depending on years and locations for various traits. As a result of the study, several lines exhibited superior performance in both yield and quality parameters. In particular, lines coded 9-55, 4-39, 3-65, 9-5, 1-39, 2-45, AUS79, and 9-85 stood out with their high grain yield, protein and gluten content, thousand kernel weight, and technological quality characteristics. The findings suggest that the lines with superior yield and quality traits could be considered as potential candidates in durum wheat breeding programs. Accordingly, this study contributes to the development of high-performance genotypes for durum wheat production in Türkiye.