Abstract
Visual selection in early stage of wheat breeding is usually implemented method. This study was conducted to compare breeders’ visual selection with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) selection. Three different selection protocols were used at Head Rows (HR) stage: Breeder visual, NDVI+ (high mean NDVI), and NDVI- (low mean NDVI). Some HRs were selected by both Breeder and NDVI+ (Breeder & NDVI+). Performances of HRs selected by each protocol were studied for grain yield and relationship of NDVI with yield in yield trials. 403 HRs of total 1246 HRs derived from 38 populations were selected by protocols at varying rates: 13.2% by Breeder, 10% by NDVI+, 3% by NDVI-, and 6.1% by Breeder & NDVI+. NDVI values measured at the pre-heading stage in the HR and early grain filling in the Preliminary Yield Trial (PYT) showed strong correlations with grain yield (r= 0.55** and r= 0.73**, respectively; p