Leaf Water Potential, Relative Water Content, and Diffusive Resistance as Screening Techniques for Drought Resistance in Barley

Abstract Rapid drought resistance screening techniques could accelerate selection of improved cultivars for semiarid areas. This study was conducted to determine if total leaf water potential, leaf relative water content, and leaf diffusive resistance could be used to differentiate between barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars differing in apparent drought resistance. Resistant and susceptible cultivars were selected by regressing individual cultivar yields against site mean yield for numerous yield trials. Individual plants were grown in cone‐tainers (plastic tubes 25 mm in diameter and 123 mm long). The lower 30 mm of the cone‐tainers were imbedded in sand so that roots emerging from the bottom of the cone‐tainers were in the capillary fringe above a water table in the sand. Fifty…