Stability Analysis for Grain Yield and Harvest Index in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Present study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity and stability for grain yield (GY) and harvest index under three varied environmental locations using 26 diverse wheat genotypes (including five checks i.e., GW 496, GW 322, GW 366, GW 451 and HI 1544) during Rabi 2016-2017. Pooled analysis of variance revealed highly significant variance due to environments for both the traits studied indicating differential response of the genotypes. The variance due to Genotype × environment was found highly significant only for harvest index. Genotype VA 2015-34 showed stable performance for harvest index across the environment whereas, VA 2005-26, VA 2015-45 and VA 2015-19 were found suitable for unfavorable environment for harvest index. VA 2015-34 may be further assessed for their genetic distance and diverse parents could be utilized in future wheat hybridization programme as well as a donor parents in multiple traits breeding programme to improve harvest index in wheat.