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Genotype x Environment Interaction for Reed Canarygrass Forage Yield¹

Plant breeders interested in broadening the adaptation and improving the performance of crop cultivars in different environments have used several stability measures as selection and evaluation criteria toward these goals. The objective of this study was to determine if genotypic variation exists for mean forage yield and for stability measures of spring and summer forage yield of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). Forty-eight reed canarygrass entries (10 clones, 10 topcross families, 25 single-cross families, and 3 check entries) were evaluated during a 3-year period at four diverse Minnesota locations. Stability measures for spring and summer periods included mean yield response to environments, deviation mean square (s²_d), coefficient of determination, sensitivity, and stability variance (²). Differences among genetic entries were detected for mean forage dry matter yield, s²_d, and (²). Extremely low and variable heritability estimates indicated that selection for low s²_d or ² would not be effective in this reed canarygrass population. Due to low correlations between s²_d and mean forage dry matter yield, selection for improved spring or summer yield would not be expected to alter s²_d. Stability analysis of early-generation reed canarygrass breeding materials is probably not warranted and would not be worth the required time and labor.

Key Words: Adaptation • Coefficient of determination • Deviations from regression • Linear regression • Phalaris arundinacea L. • Sensitivity • Stability • Stability variance

² Assistant professor, Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (formerly graduate research assistant) and associate director, Montana Agric. Exp. Stn., Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT 59717 (formerly professor, Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108).

Received for publication April 1, 1983.