STABILITY ANALYSIS OF WHEAT THROUGH GENOTYPE BY ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION IN THREE REGIONS OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Genotype-by-environment (GEI) interaction provides the basic information that helps breeders to select stable and superior genotypes for targeted environments. Climate change also alters the recommendations of the genotype for a specific condition. The field study carried out during the cropping seasons of 2015–2016 determined the performance of 16 wheat genotypes (13 lines and three cultivars) at three different locations: The University of Agriculture, Peshawar (UAP), Nuclear Institute of Food and Agriculture, Peshawar (NIFA), and Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI), Pirsabak-Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data on yield contributing parameters (days to heading, spike length, spikelets spike-1, grain weight spike-1, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield) were collected and analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and stability analysis. Mean square values revealed highly significant results for all the traits under consideration for genotypes (G) and locations (L). Likewise, interactions (GEI) were highly significant for all the traits except grain weight spike-1. The performance of genotypes under different locations indicated no similarity. However, the overall performance of genotypes displayed better under environmental conditions of the Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI- Location No: 03). According to the Eberhart and Russell approach, the genotypes K-87, PR-113, Pak-13, PR-112, NR-449, and KT-338 were confirmed stable under tested locations for yield contributing traits as their regression coefficient (bi) value exhibited close to unity. Correlations of grain yield with yield contributing traits considered were significant and positive except for days to heading.