Evaluation of agronomic performance and grain yield stability of field pea genotypes in the highlands of Bale, Southeastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Multi-environment trials (MET) are commonly conducted in plant breeding programs to evaluate cultivars and hybrids. Sixteen field pea genotypes were evaluated at three locations for three years (2017 to 2019) in the highlands of Bale using randomized complete block design with four replications, The objective of this trial was to identify stable and high yielding field pea genotype with tolerant/resistant to major field pea diseases. Combined analysis of variance for grain yield revealed that genotypes, environments, and genotype by environment interaction effect were highly significant (p<0.01). The environments, genotype, and GEI, were accounted for 57.5%, 6.33%, and 2.97%, of the total sum squares, respectively, indicating that field pea grain yield was significantly affected by the changes in the environment followed by genotypes and their interaction. From the combined analysis genotypes G8 (EH08003-2) gave the maximum grain yield (4.03t/ha) followed by G2 (3.59t/ha) and G10 (3.58t/ha). Based on the stability parameters like regression coefficient and deviation from regression G8, G10, G3 and G1 have a regression coefficient equal to unity and their deviation from the regression near to zero indicating these genotypes were very stable. But out of these genotypes, G8 gave grain yield higher than the checks with a yield advantage of 18% over the checks. Therefore, this genotype because of its stability, and higher grain yield over the checks, it was identified as candidate genotype to be verified in the highlands of bale for possible release.