Six wheat cultivars and their all hall diallel possible cross combinations
were used to estimate general and specific combining ability for earliness and yield
components under favorable (F) and drought stress (8) conditions Drought stress
conditions caused reduction in the F1 hybrids average about 5.56%; 17.12%; 7.16%
and 16.71% for heading date; number of spikes per plant; 1000 grain weight and grain
yield per plant, respectively. Estimates of drought susceptibility index (DSI) based on
grain yield per plant showed that Giza 164(P5) and the cross combinations including
(P1 x P5; P2 x P3; P3 x P5; P4 J: P5 and P5 x P5) gave susceptibility index ([351) values
less than the unity, indicating that these genotypes were relatively tolerant to drought
stress. Correlation coefficients between drought stress susceptibility index (BSD and
each of grain yield per plant and heading date were - 0.15 and 0.16, respectively. The
results showed that mean squares due to genotype x environment interaction were
highly significant, suggesting a differential response of the genotypes under favorable
(F) and drought stress (S) environments. The results indicated that GCA and SCA
mean squares were highty significant for all studied traits under each environment
and their combined data. The interactions of GCA x E and SCA x E mean squares
were found to be highly significant for all studied traits except SCA x E in grain yield
per plant, Moreover, the ratio of GCA x E iSCA x E was more than one I0r all studied
traits, revealing that non additive genetic effects are more stable over the
environments than additive ones. Estimates of general combining ability effects
exhibited that Gemmeiza 3 (P1) was excellent generai combiner for earliness under
the two environments. For yield components, Gemmeiza 3 (P1), Giza 164 (P5) and
Gemmeiza 7 (P5) were considered the best parents under both environments. The
results indicated that the crosses (P; x P5) and (P4 x P5) under favorable conditions as
well as (P; at P2) and (P3 x P4) under stress conditions exhibited significant SCA
effects for earliness. The crosses (P3 x P4) and (P4 x Fe) revealed significant SCA
effects for number of spikes per plant under the two environments. Desirable SCA
effects for 1000 grain weight were obtained by the cross (P; x P3) under each of the
two environments. Concerning grain yield per plant. the cross (P1 x P3} was the most
promising under the two environments. While. the cross (P5 x P5) exhibited desirable
SCA effect for the same trait under drought stress conditions. It is interesting to note
that the promising crosses which showed desirable SCA effects were also
significantly earlier and higher yield than their mid and better parents under the two
environments. Generaliy, estimates of GCA and SCA in these promising
populations proved that selection for drought tolerance could be effective in early
segregating generations.