Climate-induced abiotic stresses, such as drought, heat, and declining soil fertility, considerably threaten wheat productivity in arid regions. Perennial wheat relatives, including the species Thinopyrum and Agropyron, possess the vigorous root system and robust abiotic-stress tolerance, proving them more valuable donors for introgression breeding. The consequent study aimed to develop and evaluate stress-tolerant durum-bread wheat progenies derived from perennial × annual crosses under arid conditions in Uzbekistan. Diverse G₂–G₃ hybrid generations underwent assessment for viable agronomic traits such as tiller number, plant height, grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, and root development. Significant phenotypic variations were evident among the hybrid combinations. Several progenies involving the species Thinopyrum intermedium and Agropyron ponticum partial amphiploids showed improved grain-number stability (48–53 grains) and a deeper root system than annual parental genotypes. Grain-weight analysis revealed the mid-range classes (38–51 g) predominated in most G₂ hybrids, whereas multi-parent combinations displayed wider segregation and higher variations (18%–36%). Root-length analysis disclosed robust transgressive inheritance, with perennial-derived hybrids producing roots up to 90 cm, far exceeding annual cultivars (20–21 cm), highlighting their breeding potential for stress-resilient wheat.
Perennial and annual wheat, hybridization, introgression breeding, stress tolerance, G₂–G₃ hybrids, key traits, grain number, root length
Perennial wheat relatives (Thinopyrum and Agropyron spp.) transferred drought- and heat-tolerance traits to G₂–G₃ hybrids, producing superior lines with stable grain numbers and deep roots. These hybrids were identified as promising donors for breeding climate-resilient wheat adapted to water-deficit environments.