Performance Evaluation of Commercial Wheat Varieties for Yield and Quality Attributes Under Agro-Climatic Conditions of Quetta

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a globally significant cereal crop, providing essential nutrients and serving as a staple food for millions of people. Pakistan, including Balochistan, relies heavily on wheat production, but climatic variability affects yield and quality. This study evaluates the performance of six commercial wheat varieties—Zarghon, Rasco, Umeed Khas, Umeed 2014, Aghaz, and Zardana—under the agro-climatic conditions of Quetta. The field experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Research Institute (ARI), Quetta, using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Agronomic parameters, such as plant height, number of tillers per square meter, spike length, and yield, as well as quality attributes like protein content and gluten percentage, were measured. The results revealed that Umeed Khas performed best in terms of yield components, while Umeed 2014 exhibited superior biochemical quality, particularly in protein and gluten content. Aghaz performed the weakest in most categories. Based on these findings, Umeed Khas is recommended for high yield, and Umeed 2014 for superior quality traits under the climatic conditions of Quetta.