Interspecific hybridisation makes it possible to transfer useful traits, such as stress tolerance, earliness, or various desirable traits from one species into another. Addition, substitution and translocation lines developed from wheat-barley (Triticum aestivum L.× Hordeum vulgare L.) hybrids at the Agricultural Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Science in Martonvásár were analysed to determine how the added barley chromosomes (segments) influence agronomic traits, especially drought tolerance in wheat. The experiments were carried out at the Georgikon Faculty of the University of Pannonia, Keszthely during the growing season of 2007–2008. As a first step the early development of shoots and roots were checked. The half length of the 15 m rows were covered with a plastic foil on 21st April to protect plants from rain indicating 180 mm difference in water supply between control and stress treatments. Data were obtained for root-shoot ratio (EC: 30-31), date of flowering and grain yield depending on water supply.

The radical-bud ratio was the highest in the case of the 4H (4D) and the 6B-4H lines. Similarly to the germination experiment, favourable root-shoot ratio was measured in the case of the 4H (4D) line in the field experiment as well. The average difference between the control and stress treatments was one day during flowering. Grain yield was reduced by 13% on average in the mean of genotypes examined as a result of 0–27% grain yield decrease.

Our experiment the added barley chromosome segments increased of variation of examined traits.

Keywords: wheat-barley hybrids, radical and bud development, root-shoot ratio, drought stress, grain yield