Genotype by environment interaction and stability study in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Today, wheat is among the most important crops grown in Ethiopia, both as a source of food for consumers and source of cash for our country. Ethiopia has a diversified agro-ecology and enormous potential for wheat production, spanning from low land to high land. In this study, 17 bread wheat genotypes were evaluated at six environments to investigate genotype-environment (G E) interactions and yield performance stability across environments. The field experiment was set up in three replications using a randomized complete block design at mid-land areas of Guji Zone of Southern Ethiopia. The combined analysis of variance revealed that, there were highly significant differences among main effects and interactions for grain yield and yield components, indicating that the presence of diversity in genotypes and environments. The highest grain yield were recorded from BWRVT/76(44.62kgha-1) followed by BWRVT/54(44.58kgha-1) .According to AMMI ANOVA, Environments explained 33% of the total variation , genotypes 28.24% and GxE 22.28% explained of the total variation, respectively . IPCA1 and IPCA2 accounted for 52.24% and 22.65% of the GE interactions SS, respectively. According to GGE biplot model analysis, genotype BWRVT/76 and BWRVT/40 are ideal genotypes, because both are located at the center of the concentric circle. Thus, these two genotypes, BWRVT/76 and BWRVT/40, were identified as candidate genotypes to be verified for potential release for the highlands of Guji, Southern Ethiopia, and similar agro-ecologies. Also, genotypes BWRVT/75 and BWRVT/54 are high yielder but not stable. As a result, genotypes BWRVT/75 and BWRVT/54 may be used in the future for wheat breeding program, crossing.