Exogenous Potassium Triggered Improvements in Yield, Quality, and Baking Traits of Terminal Heat‐Stressed Bread Wheat

Heat stress at the terminal stages deteriorates grain yield and quality of wheat. The study was conducted to determine comparative thermo‐sensitivity of terminal stages; to quantify heat‐mediated perturbations; to optimize foliar potassium for heat alleviation, and to investigate the correlation among yield, quality, and baking traits of wheat. The experiment was laid out in RCBD in a split arrangement containing 3 blocks. Heat stress was randomized in main plots, viz. H 0 = No heat stress; H 1 = heat imposition from spike initiation to grain filling initiation, and H 2 = heat imposition from flowering initiation to grain filling initiation. Foliar potassium (K) was applied in subplots, viz. 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 g L −1 K. Larger decrease in grain yield (42%–45%), water absorption (16%), dough softening (15%–17%), grain proteins (42%–47%), grain starch (5%–6%), sedimentation value (20%–21%), breakdown viscosity (29%–35%), mixing tolerance index (40–48%) and solvent retention capacity (15%–20%) was recorded under ‘H 1 ’ compared to ‘H 0 ’. Higher increase in grain yield (15%–16%), grain proteins (14%–15%), grain starch (6%–8%), sedimentation value (30%–34%), and other recorded responses were quantified with ‘60 g L −1 K’ compared to the control. Strong positive correlations of yield and quality traits with baking attributes of wheat were recorded.