Genotype X Environment Interaction and Stability of Drought Tolerant Bread Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Genotypes in Ethiopia

Bread wheat is one of the most important cereal crops of Ethiopia grown over wider agro-ecologies mainly between 1800 to 2500 above sea level, Study on genotype by environment interaction and stability of 20 bread wheat genotypes was conducted across nine locations in 2017 main growing season in a randomized complete block design with three replications.The objectives of this study were to determine the magnitude of GEI for yield and yield components and to identify genotypes for specific or wider adaptation for grain yield under drought prone conditions of Ethiopia.Strong significant environment, genotype and GEI effects were recorded and environment captured the largest portion of the total sum of squares for all of the measured traits, which reveals the influence of the environment in evaluating the genotypes.The maximum mean grain yield value of genotypes due to the mean effect of the environment was obtained from G9 (4.36 ton ha-1) followed by G14 (4.00 ton ha-1) and G17 (3.93 ton ha-1) whereas the least mean grain yield was obtained from G11 (2.48 ton ha-1).The multiplicative variance of the treatment sum of squares due to GEI was partitioned into five significant interaction principal component axes.Cumulatively the two significant IPC explained 68.4% for grain yield.The AMMI1 biplot revealed G12, G17, G15 and G6 were stable genotype across locations.Dhera, Maichew and Korem for grain yield were favorable testing locations.Based on AMMI2 G17 for grain yield were stable genotypes.Kulumsa was the most discriminating environments for grain yield.Considering AMMI Stability Value (ASV), yield stability index (YSI)genotype G17 was the most stable genotypes for grain yield