Multi-environment trials of spring barley genotypes (Hordeum vulgare L.) in the final stage of breeding process

Abstract

Spring barley genotypes (cultivars and advanced breeding lines) have been tested in three environmental zones of Ukraine (Central Forest-Steppe, Northern Steppe and Polissia). The ANOVA has revealed reliable contributions from all three source of the variation: genotype, environment and genotype–environment interaction, but with their different ratio depending on the test conditions and studied genotypes. For spring barley cultivars the contribution of genotype–environment interaction was 22.55%, but for the advanced breeding lines it was only 10.56%. To establish patterns of genotype–environment interaction and genotypes ranking the GGE biplot model has been used. Both the change in the contribution of genotype to the total variation depending on environmental conditions and the dependence of characteristics of test environments on the genotypes studied have been revealed that in general, the combination of different ecological and year conditions of trial contributed to the identification of "the best of the best" genotypes in the final stage of breeding work. Spring barley cultivar MIP Bohun and breeding lines Deficiens 5005, Nutans 4855, and Nutans 4941 with optimal combination of yield performance and stability have been selected.

Keywords

• spring barley
• cultivar
• breeding line
• multi-environment trial
• genotype–environment interaction
• stability