Graphical analysis of genotype by environment interaction of Finger millet grain yield in India

Abstract

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. subsp. coracana) is an important food-grain in semi-arid, hilly tribal areas of India and Africa for subsistence farming. GGE biplot techniques were applied for the assessment of stability and patterns of Genotype by Environment Interaction (GEI) in elite finger millet genotypes grown in four different locations. The combined ANOVA for grain yield of thirteen finger millet cultivars at four environments showed that Environments (E), Genotypes (G) and GEI were highly significant. The partitioning of GEI sum of squares showed that first and second IPCA axis accounted for 64.1% and 28.1% of the interaction sum of squares for GGE analysis. The biplot analysis grouped the four environments into two mega environments with VL 368 and VR 988 as winning genotypes. The genotype VL 368 was found to be an ideal genotype in terms of high yield and stability followed by KOPN 942, PPR 2773, TNAU 1214, VR 988 and VL 369 as desirable genotype. Among environments, E1 and E3 were the most interactive environments while, E2 and E4 showed little variation in genotypes relative ranking.

Keywords

• eleusine coracana
• elite genotypes
• gge biplot
• stability