Pattern in interaction in the maize yield trial

Abstract

In making decisions on the development of varieties and the identification of certain growing regions, the effects of genotype (G) and genotype by environment (GxE) are very important. Although the main genotype effect and the interaction effect should be partitioned, there is still a need for their integration in the yield, as both simultaneously affect a ranking of the particular genotype within a certain environment. The AMMI (Additive Main Effect and Multiplicative Interaction) analysis, as a hybrid model, provides appropriate partitioning. The AMMI2 model, capturing 98.4% of the treatment sum of squares, was used, and 12 observed environments were classified into three target environments. Hence, out of 15 commercial maize hybrids, used in the trial, the hybrids ZP-677, ZP-570 and ZP-732 were selected as carriers of maximum yields in three target environments. In this way, it was shown that even in a relatively small region a narrow adaptation of genotypes can be exploited.

Keywords

• AMMI
• GxE interaction
• maize hybrids
• target environments