Water stress is the major environmental stresses that affect agricultural production worldwide, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This research investigated the effect of water deficit on five wheat cultivars grown in the greenhouse until anthesis. Mild (60%) and severe (30%) water deficit regimes were used with a control of 100% soil field capacity. The effect of water stress on parameters was investigated including; Relative water content (RWC), pigment content (chl a, chl b, carotenoids, chl tot), proline, soluble sugars, rate of K+ and Na+ were determined.
The results indicated that the effect of water deficit on biochemical parameters depended on the combination of water stress regime and wheat cultivars. The analyses carried show that under water deficit stress RWC was sharply reduced due a combination of leaf growth reduction and abscission. Water deficits impose leaf chlorophyll content decrease. In addition, wheat genotypes a more significant accumulation of solubles sugars than of proline. It results from them also a rate high from Na+ and a low rate of K+ at the time of the stress. Finally, the contribution of the physio-biochimicals parameters in the adaptation of the durum wheat depends closely on the genotypes and intensity of the hydrous deficit.