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The availability of water for biological roles as solvent and transport medium, as electron donor in Hill’s reaction (photosynthesis), and as evaporative coolant is essential for normal plant growth (Bohnert et al., 1995). It may be assumed that all plants have encoded capability for stress perception, signaling and response. But plant species as well as genotypes within a species may vary in sensitivity and response to the decrease in cell water potential caused by drought.

The bulk of wheat (Triticum aestivum) production in Ethiopia is under rainfed conditions. A vast wheat production area of the country is characterised by unreliable rainfall both in amount and distribution. Therefore, wheat production in these areas encounters moisture deficit at critical growth stages. This problem has limited the productivity of the crop and its expansion in area in the country.