Stability of grain number per panicle in a collection of autumn oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the stability of grain number per panicle in a collection of autumn oat genotypes under different climatic conditions. The biological material analysed consisted of 73 oat genotypes studied over a period of three years. The experimental data were obtained by biometric measurements and subsequently processed using the following linear regression models: Finlay-Wilkinson, Hardwick-Wood, Muir and Wrike. The grain number per panicle obtained varied according to the annual climatic conditions both as means and the intrapopulational variability. The Jefferson, Carrie and Florina cultivars, as well as the 4458, PA 725-4743 and PA 822-818 lines, exhibited a high dynamic stability associated with the above-average values of the grain number per panicle. Relative to this character, a total 53.10 % of the genotype x environment interaction is due to the heterogeneity of variances.

Keywords

• oats
• stability
• grain number per panicle