Water deficit is a major cause in reduction of crop production. Evaluate of phonological and morphological traits and resistance indices to post anthesis water deficit can help to identify strategies for selection of resistant cultivars and increased crop yield production. To this end, an experiment was laid out in a split–plot arranged in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications during 2011-2012 season in research farm of Razi university in Iran. The results showed that post anthesis water deficit significantly decreased grain yield, biomass, grain weight and grain number per spick, days to maturity and grain filling periods among different traits in cultivars. Under water deficiency and control treatments, cultivars in terms of all evaluated traits had significant differences. Correlation analysis between grain yield (under water deficiency and control treatments) with different drought resistance indices showed that STI (Stress Tolerance Index), GMP (Geometric Mean production) and MP (Mean Production) indices were appropriate indicators for identification of cultivars with high grain yield in both water deficiency and control treatments. Based on these indicators, Sivand and DN- 11 had the highest grain yield in both moisture treatments. And based on SSI and TOL (Tolerance) indices, Chamran was the most resistant cultivar under post anthesis water deficit stress. According to the results, cultivation of DN-11 and Sivand cultivars in such regions is associated with lower risk. Chamran cultivar also is appropriate for physiological studies to discover the mechanisms of drought tolerance to transfer them to susceptible cultivars.
