Panicle yield stability of 11 broomcorn sorghum (Sorghum bicolor var. technicum) lines

Abstract

Crops yield are usually vary to environmental conditions. An elite cultivar is not only has a high yield in a favorable condition but also stability in various environments. A new developed broomcorn sorghum derived from an intensive pedigree selection were needed to be further tested for yield stability and adaptability to environments. Ten new broomcorn sorghum lines and Ruangriew-1 cultivar, a standard check were tested under 10 diverse environments, in the year (Y) 2018 and 2019, at (L) Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakorn Sawan, Uthai Thani, Kamphaeng Phet and Buriram Province  to assess the effects of environments (E; Y, L, YL), genotypes (G), and GE interaction on panicle yield and yield components. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications was used. Each environment, sorghum were planted in 75x10 cm spacing in a 4 m length-row for 4 rows/plot, and panicle yield were recorded from 2 middle rows. Genotypes (G), environments (Y, L, YL), and GE (GY, GL, GYL) showed significantly affected (p≤0.01) to panicle yield, and locations (L) had significantly affected (p≤0.01) to all yield components of broomcorn sorghum. Based on Eberhart and Russell’s stability model, regression coefficient (b_i) of the KBr 5906, KBr 5915, KBr 5916 KBr 5919, KBr 5964, and Ruangriew-1 lines were significant different from 1, its b_i were 0.85, 0.48, 1.26, 0.09, 1.16 and 1.38, respectively, indicated that these 6 lines had low panicle yield stability, its yield varied to environmental conditions. Ruangriew-1 cultivar was well adapted to Nakhon Ratchasima location which average panicle yield of 2.22 ton/hectare. While, b_i of the KBr 5911, KBr 5927, KBr 5937, KBr 5939, and KBr 5962 were non-significant different from 1 (b_i~1), identified that these 5 lines had stability for yield with relative low yield of 1.13, 1.13, 1.10, 1.16 and 1.14 ton/hectare, respectively.