Yield stability analysis of nine spring bread wheat genotypes in the central highlands of Ethiopia

Eight promising bread wheat lines and one standard check cultivars were evaluated for grain yield performance, stability and adaptation across nine environments of the central highlands of Ethiopia. Results of the combined analysis of variance for grain yield showed highly significant effects of genotypes, environments, and genotype by environment interaction. The mean grain yields for individual lines ranged from 3249 to 4762 Kh ha-1. When the genotypic grain yields were subjected to stability analysis against an environmental index, the regression coefficients for individual lines ranged from 0.406 to 1.451. Among the lines tested, HAR 1696 and Enkoy were the two most stable genotypes across all environments, while two of the four highest yielding lines, HAR 1349 and HAR 1709, appeared to be specifically adapted to favorable growing conditions. The test line HAR 1685 exhibited superior yield performance across all environments, and was recommended for release in 1994 for commercial production in Ethiopia.