Journal of Geoscience and Eco Agricultural Studies

Abstract

In this study, eight faba bean genotypes were tested against three checks (Basabeer, Shandi and Turkey) across five environments during two winter seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022). The main objectives of this study were to estimate G x E interactions and identify the highest yielding and stable genotypes under different environments. A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used. Data were collected on days to 50% flowering, days to 90% maturity, plant height (cm), number of pods per plant, 100-seed weight (g) and seed yield (t ha-1). A wide range of genetic variability was observed among the genotypes for most of the studied traits. Combined analyses of variance revealed highly significant environment, genotype and genotype x environment (GE) component of interaction and indicated wide differences among the environments and differential genotypic behavior to the tested environments. Results indicated that the genotype G1 (C.2/2) ranked the best with yield increment of 15.8% and 9.8%, respectively over the two standard checks, Shandi and Turkey. The genotypes G4 (C.5), G2 (Elarkey 82), G10 (Gelass 36) and G11 (Gelass 2) out - yielded the two standard checks Shandi and Turkey in seed yield with average yield advantage over the check Turkey amounting to more than 10%. The heaviest seed weight (79 g) was obtained by the genotypes Elarkey 82 and check Turkey, followed by Gelass 35 (72 g) and Gelass 36 (66 g). Results of additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis showed that genotypes (G), environments (E), and genotype x environment interaction (GEI) had highly significantly (P ≤ 0.01) affected seed yield. From the total sum of squares due to treatments (G + E + GEI), E attributed the highest proportion of the variation (73.83%), followed by GEI (16.63%) and G (9.54%). The partitioning of the GxE by AMMI analysis showed that two of the Interaction Principal Component Axes (IPCAs) were highly significant (P ≤ 0.001). AMMI and GGE biplot analyses result identified that genotypes, C.5, Elarkey 82 and Gelass 36 were declared as widely adapted genotypes with likewise recorded higher seed yield of 3.36 t ha-1, 3.23 t ha-1 and 3.21 t ha-1, respectively. Therefore, the three promising faba bean genotypes C.2/2, Elarkey 82 and Gelass 36 were release in 22 June 2025 for commercial production under the names, Hudeiba 2025, Elwafer and Mahira, respectively to be grown in River Nile and Northern States as well as similar agro-ecologies of Sudan.