Multi-trait stability index in the selection of high-yielding and stable barley genotypes

Area of Science:

• Plant breeding
• Quantitative genetics
• Agricultural science

Background:

• Genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) is critical for developing cultivars adapted to diverse conditions.
• Selecting for individual traits can be misleading; robust multi-trait models are essential.
• Multi-environmental trials (METs) are key for evaluating genotype performance across environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the utility of the multi-trait stability index (MTSI) for identifying superior barley genotypes.
• To evaluate barley genotype performance and stability across ten diverse environments.
• To assess the efficiency of MTSI in genotype selection for breeding programs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multi-trait stability index (MTSI) for genotype evaluation.
• Conducted combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess effects of environment (E), genotype (G), and GEI.
• Performed correlation analysis to determine trait associations with grain yield.

Main Results:

• Significant effects of E, G, and GEI were observed for all assessed traits.
• MTSI model's first three factors explained 75% of phenotypic variation.
• Genotypes G3, G10, and G14 showed superior yield, stability, and agronomic traits based on MTSI.

Conclusions:

• MTSI is an effective tool for reliably identifying superior genotypes in METs.
• MTSI enhances selection efficiency and accuracy across heterogeneous environments.
• Findings support informed breeding decisions for developing stable and adaptable plant varieties.