Maize hybrid stability in environments under water restriction using mixed models and factor analysis.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Breeding
• Agronomy

Background:

• Water deficit is a primary constraint on crop yield, particularly in maize production.
• Evaluating phenotypic stability is crucial for developing resilient crop varieties.
• The analytical factor (AF) approach offers a novel method for assessing hybrid performance across diverse conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the phenotypic stability of 171 maize hybrids under varying water availability conditions.
• To identify maize hybrids exhibiting consistent grain yield and desirable agronomic traits.
• To validate the utility of the analytical factor (AF) approach in multi-environment trials.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of 171 maize hybrids across 14 environments over 7 years, with distinct water-restricted and non-restricted zones.
• Utilized a square lattice design (6 x 6) with common treatments across years for robust statistical analysis.
• Assessed key agronomic traits including grain yield (GY), male flowering (MF), female flowering (FF), plant height (PH), and ear height (EH).

Main Results:

• Hybrids G66, G99, G86, and G26 were identified as the most stable performers.
• These top-performing hybrids demonstrated significant potential for cultivation in both water-stressed and optimal environments.
• The AF models proved effective in correlating hybrid performance with production components and identifying stable mega-environments.

Conclusions:

• The analytical factor (AF) approach is a valuable tool for evaluating long-term hybrid performance and stability.
• Selected hybrids (G66, G99, G86, G26) offer promising solutions for enhancing maize production under water deficit stress.
• The study underscores the importance of phenotypic stability for developing climate-resilient maize varieties.