Adaptability and Stability Analyses of Root Yield and Micronutrient Concentrations in Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas...

High yielding and micronutrient dense sweetpotato cultivars could contribute to alleviating micronutrient deficiency, which is a prevalent problem in developing countries. Developing these improved cultivars involves selection across diverse environments, which requires an understanding of genotype × environment interaction (GEI). This study evaluated root yield (RY), β-carotene, iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) concentrations in 22 sweetpotato genotypes across different locations to identify superior genotypes for broad and specific adaptation. Trials were conducted at four different locations across two seasons in a randomized block design with two replications. The data were subjected to the genotype and genotype by environment (GGE) biplot analyses. Significant (p < 0.05) genotype × environment interactions were reported for fresh root yield, β-carotene, Fe and Zn content. There was wide genotypic variation in RY and micronutrient contents. The most desirable genotypes were G3, G19 and G16 with higher than 7.5 t/ha of RY and G19, G12 and G16 that had high β-carotene. These genotypes were selected for breeding for improved cultivars. Overall, seven genotypes G3, G19, G16, G22, G4, G5 and G2 with high and stable RY and high micro-nutrient concentrations were selected for developing breeding populations. These genotypes are recommended for sweetpotato breeding programme in Zimbabwe and similar environments.