The usability of some spectral reflection instruments to determine yield and quality traits in bread wheat genotypes in semi-arid conditions

Agricultural products are of great importance in human life. Wheat, one of these agricultural products, is a strategically important plant as the main food source in the world and in our country. Spectral reflection instruments are reliable instruments that provide cost-effective solutions for monitoring plant growth and processes. In parallel with technological advancements, researchers prefer spectral reflection instruments for monitoring the developmental stages of wheat plants and determining the relationship between yield and quality characteristics. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between yield components and quality characteristics measured by SPAD meter, GreenSeeker (NDVI), and CM 1000 chlorophyll meter at different growing stages (Stem elongation, Heading, Anthesis and Milk stage) of bread wheat genotypes grown under semiarid conditions. 22 bread wheat genotypes, including 8 commercial bread wheat varieties and 14 advanced bread wheat genotypes, were established in Diyarbakir ecological conditions during the 2021-2022 production season using a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Among the characteristics examined in the study, only SPAD and NDVI values measured in the heading stage and CM 1000 values measured in the milk stage were found to be statistically insignificant. According to the correlation and biplot analysis, a significant positive correlation was found between the SPAD values measured in the stem elongation, anthesis and milk stage and yield and quality characteristics. Significant positive correlations were found between the NDVI values at the stem elongation, anthesis, and milk stages and the yield components, and between the CM 1000 value at the heading stage and the grain yield. According to the results of the research, SPAD meter can be used to determine yield and quality characteristics, and GreenSeeker and CM 1000 chlorophyll meters can be used to determine grain yield of bread wheat plants in semi-arid conditions; At the same time, it has been concluded that it can be used as a selection tool in breeding studies using these spectral reflection tools, considering the plant development period.