Genotype selection via a new yield-stability statistic in maize yield trials

Summary Genotype × environment (GE) interaction complicates selection of superior genotypes across environments. The main objective of this study was to select maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes via a new yield-stability (YS_i) statistic in yield trials conducted in Albania. Another objective was to estimate contribution of environmental index (% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGak0dh9WrFfpC0xh9vqqj-hEeeu0xXdbba9frFj0-OqFf% ea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr% 0-vqpWqaaeaabaGaaiaacaqabeaadaqaaqaaaOqaaiqadIfagaqeaa% aa!3851!\\bar X\]_·j – % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGak0dh9WrFfpC0xh9vqqj-hEeeu0xXdbba9frFj0-OqFf% ea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr% 0-vqpWqaaeaabaGaaiaacaqabeaadaqaaqaaaOqaaiqadIfagaqeaa% aa!3851!\\bar X\]_.., where % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGak0dh9WrFfpC0xh9vqqj-hEeeu0xXdbba9frFj0-OqFf% ea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr% 0-vqpWqaaeaabaGaaiaacaqabeaadaqaaqaaaOqaaiqadIfagaqeaa% aa!3851!\\bar X\]_·j is mean of all genotypes in the jth environment and % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGak0dh9WrFfpC0xh9vqqj-hEeeu0xXdbba9frFj0-OqFf% ea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr% 0-vqpWqaaeaabaGaaiaacaqabeaadaqaaqaaaOqaaiqadIfagaqeaa% aa!3851!\\bar X\]is mean of all genotypes across all environments), minimum temperature, maximum temperature, preseason rainfall, rainfall during the growing season, and relative humidity to GE interaction by determining heterogeneity (nonadditivity) attributable to each of these environmental factors. In five of eight trials, heterogeneity due to environmental index was significant. Heterogeneity due to the other environmental factors was not significant in any trial. A comparison of _i ² (stability-variance statistic derived from total GE interaction) and s _i ² (stability-variance statistic derived from residual GE interaction following removal of heterogeneity due to encovariate) helped identify genotypes that performed stably or unstably because of a linear effect of environmental index. In three of the five trials showing significant heterogeneity due to environmental index, the YS_i statistic selected a reduced number of unstable genotypes as compared with selection based solely on yield. However, the circumstances or conditions under which YS_i and solely yield-based method select the same or different genotypes are not fully understood.