Climate-Resilient Bread Wheat for Arid Environments: Adaptation and Yield Performance of Diverse Genotypes Across Contrasting Growing Conditions

Environmental variability poses major challenges to bread wheat production in arid regions. This study evaluated the adaptation, productivity, and grain quality of fifteen diverse bread wheat genotypes. The evaluated germplasm comprised advanced breeding lines developed by the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), Saudi landraces, newly released cultivars, and a cultivar derived from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Field experiments were conducted over two consecutive growing seasons (2022/2023 and 2023/2024) at two contrasting arid environments in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh exhibited warmer, drier conditions, with higher soil calcium carbonate content than Hail. Significant effects (p ≤ 0.01) of genotype, environment, and genotype-by-environment interaction were detected for all traits studied. Compared with Hail, Riyadh exhibited lower grain and biological yields, fewer spikes/m2, lighter grains, reduced plant height, and shorter growth duration. Riyadh-1 achieved the highest grain yield (7.54 t/ha) and biological yield (21.44 t/ha). ACS-1454, ACS-1422, ACS-1372, and Maeaa also demonstrated superior productivity and adaptation. Local landraces were characterized by late heading and maturity, whereas ACS-1454, ACS-1422, ACS-1400, and ACS-1464 exhibited early phenology across environments. LR-12 and LR-599 exhibited the highest protein and gluten contents, whereas Riyadh-1 and Yecora recorded the highest gluten index values. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, and AMMI identified Riyadh-1, ACS-1454, ACS-1422, ACS-1372 and Maeaa as promising candidates for cultivation and breeding. Furthermore, the local landraces (LR-12 and LR-599) represent valuable sources of adaptive genetic diversity and grain quality for climate-resilient wheat cultivars.