Climate change, human population growth, human health and food security, safety, and sovereignty all demand that the role of biodiversity in plant breeding be revisited. From a biological standpoint, it is possible that populations of diverse plants developed by evolutionary plant breeding will be able to handle the majority of these major issues. Water stress and soil nutrient deficiency may have a negative impact on wheat (Triticum spp.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) yields and qualities. Drought-tolerant wheat cultivars with high yield and quality potential and improved grain protein content must be developed if food security is to be maintained. Wheat and barley (Triticum spp. and Hordeum vulgare, respectively) are the focus of this research, which aims to examine the stability of evolutionary populations (EPs) in the face of stressful and changeable settings. It's also important to look at how evolved populations stack up against improved varieties in terms of yield and its components. There has not been much progress in making wheat and barley more resistant to drought, especially in Jordan, where the problem is felt the most.

Wheat is regarded as one of the major field crops that is mainly grown under rain-fed conditions in Jordan. However, wheat productivity is relatively lower than the world average. This is primarily due to the prevailing drought conditions as a result of poor distribution and low amounts of rainfall. Research studies showed that K can markedly improve wheat yield and quality under water deficit conditions. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of soil-applied mineral potassium (K) fertilizer on the yield and growth parameters of two local durum wheat varieties under rain-fed conditions in Jordan. And to determine the rate of K needed to obtain the optimum wheat yield. Two field trials were conducted under rain-fed conditions in two locations in Jordan. Two local durum wheat varieties were grown during two successive growing seasons. Five different rates of K were applied at sowing time. A randomized complete block design with four replications was followed. The results showed that soil K application exhibited a significant effect on wheat crop grain and biological yields of both varieties at the two locations. However, an increasing trend in plant height, harvest index, and thousand-grain weight with increasing K application rate was noticed. Potassium application to soil can alleviate the adverse effects of drought stress on the wheat crop by improving growth and yield attributes.