Genotype-by-Environment Interaction Analysis for Quantity and Quality Traits in Faba Beans Using AMMI, GGE Models,...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Breeding
• Agronomy

Background:

• Faba beans are a vital crop for animal feed, but their seed production is heavily influenced by genotype × environment interactions (GEI).
• Understanding GEI is essential for developing stable faba bean varieties that perform consistently across different growing conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between faba bean genotypes and various ecosystems.
• To identify ideal climatic conditions, management systems, and genotypes for stable faba bean production.
• To evaluate stability indices for key faba bean quality traits.

Main Methods:

• A two-year experiment was conducted across four environments.
• Stability indices were calculated for traits including moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat, total starch, and crude fiber content.
• Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) and Genotype plus Genotype-by-Environment (GGE) biplot models were utilized.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant GEIs were observed, indicating substantial variation in faba bean performance.
• Crude protein content, plant height, and thousand-seed weight positively correlated with seed yield.
• The Tanagra cultivar exhibited high crude protein stability, while Ste1 and Ste2 showed promise under low-input conditions.

Conclusions:

• The Tanagra cultivar and Ste2 genotype are recommended for stable faba bean production based on AMMI and GGE biplot analyses.
• Qualitative traits like earliness demonstrated high heritability and stability, unlike quantitative traits such as seed yield.
• Identifying genotypes with consistent performance across diverse environments is key for improving global faba bean genetics.