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

Abstract

Faba beans are considered one of the most important crops for animal feed. The genotype × environment interaction (GEI) has a considerable effect on faba bean seed production. The objectives of this study included assessing multiple locations and genotypes to understand how various ecosystems and faba bean genotypes relate to one another, and suggesting the ideal climatic conditions, crop management system, and genotypes so that they are carefully chosen for their stability. A 2-year experiment was conducted in order to define the stability across four environments based on stability indices for certain characteristics: moisture (%), ash content (%), crude protein content (%), crude fat (%), total starch (%), and crude fiber content (%). Statistically significant differences indicated that GEIs were present. The heritability was generally high for qualitative traits in comparison with quantitative traits. The crude protein content, plant height, and thousand-seed weight were all positively correlated with the seed yield; however, the other qualitative variables were adversely correlated. The crude protein content of the cultivar Tanagra displayed a high stability index, followed by Ste1. Under conventional management, Tanagra demonstrated high values for the seed yield in Giannitsa and Florina. Ste1 and Ste2 are particularly promising genetic materials that showed high values under low-input conditions. The best genotypes to use and the most favorable environments/types of cultivation were the Tanagra cultivar, followed by the Ste2 genotype, according to the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and genotype plus genotype-by-environment (GGE) biplot models. Earliness showed significant heritability values and very high stability indices, again indicating qualitative behavior according to genetic parameters. With the exception of the number of pods per plant, which demonstrated low heritability while having excellent index values, traits like seed yield showed relatively low-stability-based heritability values. Global efforts aimed at improving the genetics of faba beans might benefit from genotypes that exhibit consistent yields in various conditions.

Assessing agronomic performance, chocolate spot resistance, and heat tolerance for diverse Vicia faba genotypes under varying environmental conditions

“…In this context, Sellami et al 31 examined the effects of sowing date on yield and yield components of Vicia faba genotypes, highlighting how these factors contribute significantly to the variation in seed yield and quality traits under Mediterranean field conditions​​. Besides, Greveniotis et al 29 extensively evaluated faba beans across multiple locations to assess the influence of G × EI on quantitative and qualitative traits. By employing AMMI biplot model alongside stability indices, this study elucidated the relationship between various ecosystems and faba bean genotypes.…”

“…Consequently, faba bean breeders frequently study the genotype through environmental interaction across different environments to examine the stability of available plant material 26 . Several statistical models e.g., AMMI biplot, regression slope (b i ), deviation from linear regression (S 2 d i ), and Wricke’s Ecovalence (WE) are employed to analyze G × E, aiding in the identification of broadly adaptable genotypes or those tailored explicitly to specific environments 27 – 29 . Considering the genetic basis of the adaptability enhances breeding attempts in developing newly resilient and desired faba bean genotypes under global climate variations 22 , 30 .…”

Modeling Stability of Alfalfa Yield and Main Quality Traits

“…Using molecular markers and clustering, Alzahrani et al [4] managed to separate cultivars According to the ANOVA table, G × E interactions were highly significant in our research. Greveniotis et al [24][25][26][27]46,47] reported that G × E interactions often occur in the cultivations of many plants aiming to support livestock, meaning different behavior in different places or years. The main traits of alfalfa breeders and farmers, taking into account green mass yield, dry matter yield, and protein content (%), are subjective to GEI [5].…”

“…The stability index was calculated using, as follows, [24][25][26][27]38,[43][44][45][46][47]] (x/s) 2 , where x represents the mean value of each parameter examined for every genetic material utilized in this study and s the respective standard deviation. ANOVA was used to assess the data across environments to reveal significant differences for each measured parameter.…”

“…As it is known, yield is strongly affected by factors such as genotype (G), environment (E), and genotype x environment interaction (GEI) [24][25][26][27], but, among them, GEI leads genotypes to respond differently in different environments [28]. The literature reports that the cultivation year significantly influences green mass and dry matter yield, as well as the protein content (%) in some species [29].…”