Genotype-by-Environment Interaction and Stability Analysis in Grain Yield of Improved Tef (Eragrostis tef) Varieties Evaluated in Ethiopia
Habte Jifar *
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Agricultural Research Center, P.O.Box 31, Holetta, Ethiopia.
Kebebew Assefa
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center, P.O.Box 32, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
Kassahun Tesfaye
Institute of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, P.O.Box 32853, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Kifle Dagne
Department of Microbial Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, P.O.Box 1076, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Zerihun Tadele
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland and Center for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To assess the magnitude of genotype by environment interaction; possible existence of different mega-environments; and discriminating ability and representativeness of the testing environments.
Study Design: Randomized complete Block Design with three replications.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Debre Zeit, Holetta and Alem Tena for two years (2015 and 2016) and at Adet, Axum and Bako for one year (2015).
Methodology: Thirty-five improved tef varieties were evaluated at nine environments. The G × E interaction were quantified using additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and the genotype and genotype by environment (GGE) biplot models.
Results: Combined analysis of variance revealed highly significant (P = 0.01) variations due to genotype, environment and genotype by environment interaction effects. AMMI analysis revealed 4.3%, 79.7% and 16% variation in grain yield due to genotypes, environments and G x E effects, respectively. G6 gave the highest mean grain yield (3.33 t/ha) over environments whereas G29 gave the lowest mean yield (2.49 t/ha). The GGE biplot grouped the nine testing environments and the 35 genotypes into four mega environments and seven genotypic groups. The four mega environments include: G-I (E1, E4 and E6); G-II (E2, E3, E7 and E8); G-III (E9), and G-IV (E5). E5, E6, E7 and E8 which had the longest vector were the most discriminating of all environments while, E1 and E4 which had the smallest angle with the average environmental axis were the most representative of all environments. Regarding genotypes, G6, G25, G34 and G16 were identified as the best yielding and relatively stable genotypes to increase tef productivity.
Conclusion: AMMI and GGE were found to be efficient in grouping the tef growing environments and genotypes.
Keywords: AMMI, biplot, GGE, stability, Tef