Evaluation of Food Barley Genotypes for Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of promising food barley genotypes for grain yield and yield related traits. The trial was conducted in 2017 and 2018 main cropping season using randomized complete block design with three replications. Variance analysis and GGE biplot were used to understand the nature of genotype × environment interaction (G × E) in a grain yield data collected from eighteen  barley genotypes grown in eight environments (Location and year combinations). The combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significantly higher genotype, environment and genotype by environment interaction effects for all the traits studied. Accordingly, genotypes EH1493 X HB1307 (G10) and HB 1307 X ND25160 (G2) showed the highest mean grain yield of 4558 kg ha^-1 and 4499 kgha^-1, respectively. GGE biplot showed that G10 was the winner genotype at BK18, DB18 and HO18 environments and it has good grain yield stability across the testing environments. Therefore, G10 is a potential candidate variety to be included in the variety verification trial for possible release.

Keywords: ANOVA, GGE biplot, grain yield, stability

DOI: 10.7176/ALST/84-02

Publication date: December 31^st 2020