Pod Yield Stability of Best Groundnut Varieties from National Agricultural Research Stations Program in West Africa

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate different varieties of groundnut introduced from four breeding programs in West Africa for their stability and adaptability in agro-ecological zones of Niger. The study used a randomized complete block design with three replicates at three locations. Analysis of variance revealed significant variation among varieties and the effect of environment on pod yield was highly significant (P<0.001). GGE biplot analysis was used to identify the best varieties for each environment and assess the stability of the newly introduced varieties. The GGE biplot described all the observed variations and explained 98.42% of the total variation, indicating a strong genotype by environment interaction effect. The evaluation of varietal performance indicated that Pyr-370 and Rafeet Car thrived exceptionally well in Bengou and Magaria, respectively, while El_Tarna exhibited the highest performance at Tarna. Variety SH470P was the most stable and productive among the introduced varieties in the different environments, while ICGV86124 was stable but low yielding. On the other hand, the introduced varieties ICGV86024, ICGV-IS14857 and Pyr-370 demonstrated superior productivity, yet their performance inconsistency underscored inherent instability.