This study evaluated 37 multi-environment trials (METs) comprising 787 bread wheat genotypes, using Alpha lattice and partially replicated designs across the highland agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia from 2021 to 2024. The study identified significant phenotypic variation, with grain yields ranging from 1.54 to 7.39 t ha⁻¹ across environmental trials. The genotypes EBW170049 and EBW170074 appeared as superior performers, yielding 5.31 t ha⁻¹ and 5.17 t ha⁻¹, respectively, while 65% of the genotypes exceeded the 4.5 t ha⁻¹ productivity threshold. The superior performance of EBW170049 was complemented by strong grain quality parameters, with HLW of 70.37 kg hl-1 and TKW of 38.46 g, suggesting a stable and efficient grain-filling period. A Factor Analytic Mixed Model (FAMM) captured over 99.9% of the cumulative genetic variance, facilitating a precise decomposition of environmental interactions. Broad-sense heritability reached 99.16% for days to heading and 98.16% for grain yield in high-potential sites, although environmental sensitivity reduced plant height heritability to 52.65% in strained locations. Trait-based environmental clustering helped delineate principal mega-environments and identified specific trial outliers. The finding revealed that early-to-medium maturity demonstrated by superior genotypes serves as a critical terminal stress-escape strategy. Furthermore, top-performing genotypes generally exhibited medium plant height as lodging resistance potential. Regarding biotic stress, genotypes EBW170051 and EBW170058 showed superior yellow rust resistance, while EBW222276 remained resistant to stem rust. Overall, the study confirmed high genetic gain potential and demonstrated that FAMM-based MET analysis is a robust framework for identifying superior genotypes and enhancing productivity and climate resilience in bread wheat breeding programs.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 16(1): 96-113, June 2026
Bayisa Asefa, Berhanu Sime, H. Zegeye et al.· International Journal of Agr...· 0 citations
Bread wheat is a vital crop for Ethiopia’s food security, with expanding cultivation driven by variety development efforts and strategic national initiatives. This study presents a multi-environment trial (MET) analysis to evaluate the genetic performance of 140 unique bread wheat genotypes, using data from 20 trials conducted across Ethiopia’s major wheat-growing regions. Each trial was designed using a row-column design (RCD) arranged in a rectangular array of plots. Four traits —grain yield (GYLD), hectoliter weight (HLW), days to heading (DTH), and thousand kernel weight (TKW) were considered in the analysis. We fitted a factor analytic linear mixed model (FAMM) based on a one-stage approach. Spatial models were fitted to account for field trends, while factor analytic (FA) model was used to model genotype-by-environment (G × E) effects. Model comparisons showed that the FA model consistently outperformed the diagonal (DIAG) model across all traits, offering greater flexibility capturing the variation in G × E effects. Heritability estimates were generally high, especially for DTH, which also showed strong genetic correlations across environments highlighting its reliability as a selection trait. In contrast, yield-related traits exhibited complex G × E patterns and variable heritability, reflecting their polygenic nature and environmental sensitivity. While the highest-yielding check variety, Balcha, retained its lead in GYLD, three genotypes—EBW202104, EBW202110, and EBW193155—demonstrated stable and competitive performance across environments for multiple traits, particularly grain quality and maturity. This makes them strong candidates for varietal release and registration for commercial production in Ethiopia. Future research should integrate genomic and environmental data.
N. Geleta, Tarekegn Argaw, Bayisa Asefa et al.· Discover Agriculture· 0 citations
The experiment was conducted at four locations over two years, from June, 2023 to December, 2024. The study evaluated the performance of 30 bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties across seven Ethiopian agro-ecological environments during the 2023–2024 cropping season. The objective of the study was to identify high-yielding, stable, and disease-tolerant bread wheat genotypes suitable for sustainable wheat production across diverse Ethiopian agro-ecological environments. The combined analysis of variance revealed that the environment contributed the largest proportion of the total variation (74.51%), followed by genotype×environment interaction (19.77%), whereas genotypic differences accounted for only 5.71% of the variation. Grain yield ranged from 5.45 t ha-1 for Digalu to 7.51 t ha-1 for Kulumsa in 2023, with newer wheat varieties consistently outperforming older cultivars. The GGE biplot analysis revealed that the first two principal components explained 71.94% of the genotype×environment interaction (G×E) variation, confirming the reliability of the model for assessing genotype stability and adaptability across environments. Newly released varieties such as Kulumsa, Deka, Honqolo, and Balcha demonstrated superior grain yield and desirable agronomic traits, whereas older varieties such as Digalu, Dashen, and Kubsa showed relatively lower performance. These findings highlight the genetic progress achieved through Ethiopian wheat breeding programs and emphasize the importance of continuous variety evaluation to sustain wheat productivity under changing agro-ecological conditions.
Berhanu Sime, Gadisa Alemu, Alemu Dabi et al.· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
