5. Analysis of genotype by environmental interaction of common wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) by non-parametric stability methods

Author: Nikolay Tsenov, Todor Gubatov, Ivan Yanchev

Abstract

Data from the Multi Environmental Field Trail (MET), which examined 24 varieties of common wheat, were divided into three „datasets“ related to three of the five study locations. Using meta-analysis, these three data sets were compared with those from the whole experiment. The aim of the study is to determine whether a 4-year growing period in three country-specific locations, it is possible to establish a significant impact of the environment on the stability of a group of varieties. The analysis of the genotype x environment interaction (GEI) was performed in parallel in the three groups of data, which were compared with the entire MET database. A direct comparison was made on them regarding the possibilities of non-parametric methods to assess the stability of the variety. The analysis of the results of the four „datasets“ is done through a number of statistical approaches, allowing them to be correctly compared at different levels. Genotype x environment interaction was found in each of the studied locations. The variation in yield in them is a result of the direct effect of the „year“ and the combined effect of the genotype x year. At all three locations, the GEI is broken down into four main components, which is evidence of the strong linear and non-linear nature of the dispersion of grain yield. These results are a prerequisite for an objective assessment of genotype stability. All applied parameters give completely similar stability information for each of them, regardless of the test location. Data from one location are sufficient to assess the stability of each variety in a group. This may be the case if significant differences between the seasons of the trial, are found. The applied non-parametric methods for stability assessment give correct information about the varieties, in the presence of GEI, regardless of the conditions from which the data for analysis are selected.

Keywords: wheat, genotype x environment, stability, nonparametric methods