Search Results (2)

Abiotic stress decreases crop production worldwide. In order to recommend suitable genotypes for cultivation under water deficit and heat stress conditions, an overall understanding of the genetic basis and plant responses to these stresses and their interactions with the environment is required. To achieve these goals, the multitrait genotype-ideotype distance index (MGIDI) was utilized to recognize abiotic-stress-tolerant wheat genotypes, and the weighted average of absolute scores (WAASB) index as well as the superiority index, which enables weighting between the mean performance and stability (WAASBY), were utilized to recognize high-yielding and stable genotypes. Twenty wheat genotypes were examined to determine the abiotic stress tolerance capacity of the investigated genotypes under nine test environments (three seasons × three treatments). Abiotic stress significantly decreased most morpho-physiological and all agronomic traits; however, some abiotic-stress-tolerant genotypes expressed a slight reduction in the measured traits as compared with the control group. G04, G12, G13, and G17 were identified as convenient and stable genotypes using the MGIDI index under all environments. Based on the scores of the genotype index (WAASB), G01, G05, G12, and G17 were selected as superior genotypes with considerable stability in terms of the grain yield (GY). G04, G06, G12, and G18 were classified as cluster (I), the productive and stable genotypes, using the WAASBY superiority index. The combined indices (MGIDI and WAASB) and (MGIDI and WAASBY) revealed genotypes G12 and G17 and genotypes G04 and G12, respectively, as the most stable candidates. Therefore, these are considered novel genetic resources for improving productivity and stabilizing GY in wheat programs under optimal conditions, water deficit, and heat stress. The genotype G12 was jointly expressed in all three indices. Stability measures using WAASB may help breeders with decision-making when selecting genotypes and conducting multi-environment trials. Hence, these methods, if jointly conducted, can serve as a powerful tool to assist breeders in multi-environment trials. Full article

Maize silage is fundamental for high milk production in dairy farming. The incorporation of new genetic diversity into temperate maize germplasm has the potential to improve adapted cultivars, and it could be especially useful for improving the nutrition of silage varieties. The goal of this study is to assess the potential for lines from the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) project to compete with commercial silage hybrids when crossed with elite temperate-adapted testers. We examined 35 GEM-derived hybrids along with five commercial checks in seven environments across three years in trials that were arranged in randomized complete block designs. Hybrids were compared based on their potential for conversion into animal productivity units: milk yield per hectare (Milk ha⁻¹) and milk yield per ton of silage (Milk t⁻¹). Broad phenotypic variation was observed for both traits, and the broad-sense heritability of Milk ha⁻¹ and Milk t⁻¹ were 0.24 and 0.31, respectively. Five out of six hybrids in the top 15%, based on a multi-trait stability index, were GEM-derived hybrids. The large proportions of phenotypic variance attributed to genotype by environment interactions (GEI) for quality traits suggests that local adaptation should be leveraged for silage breeding that make use of GEM-derived materials. Full article