This research was conducted at Izraa research station of The General
Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research during the growing season
2010/2011 to study the performance of six durum wheat varieties at early
growth stage under water defici
t stress. The experiment was designed using
randomized complete block design with three replication. The statistical
analysis results of the experiment clearly showed genetic variations among
cultivars under water stress. Drought stress caused a depression in all studied
traits. Mean yield decreased in average 31.7 %. The number of spiks/ m2 was
the most trait affected by drought stress, It decreased in average 29.1% while
biological yield decreased in average 24.26%. It was observed that the number
of spikes per m2 was the highest in the variety Hourani (191) and the highest
number of grain per spike (34.1) whereas the variety Bohouth7 and the variety
hourani recorded the highest thousand grain weight (40.5 g). The statistical
analysis results showed that the variety Cha5 a achieved the highest grain yield
per m2 (239.4 g), whereas, the variety Bohouth7 recorded the lowest grain yield
per m2 (182.8 g), under water deficit stress conditions.