Hydroponic Evaluation and Principal Component Analysis of Early Vigor Traits in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L) Genotypes

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) remains a cornerstone of global food security, yet its productivity is increasingly threatened by climate change, soil degradation, and resource limitations. Early vigor traits at the seedling stage are critical indicators of stress tolerance and overall growth potential. In this study, six wheat genotypes (Wheat‑G1 to Wheat‑G6) were evaluated under controlled hydroponic conditions using a modified Hoagland solution. Growth and physiological traits including root length, shoot length, fresh and dry biomass, chlorophyll content, and days to second leaf emergence were measured. Statistical analyses were performed using R (version 4.5.2), incorporating descriptive statistics, one‑way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results revealed significant differences among genotypes, with Wheat‑G4 and Wheat‑G6 consistently outperforming others, while Wheat‑G3 exhibited poor performance. PCA confirmed that growth traits contributed most to genotype differentiation, explaining over 96% of the variance in PC1, while developmental timing contributed modestly through PC2. These findings validate hydroponic evaluation as a reproducible method for early vigor assessment and highlight PCA as a powerful tool for multivariate genotype clustering. The superior performance of Wheat‑G4 and Wheat‑G6 suggests their potential as candidates for breeding programs targeting stress‑prone environments.