A mega-environment investigation based on the GGE biplot and genotype selection for high essential oil yield in Java citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt ex Bor.)

Abstract

Five cultivars were tested for essential oil production in India's citronella Java breeding program in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020. The best experimental facilities for growing aromatic grasses like Java citronella are the CSIR-CIMAP in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and its Research Center in Pantnagar, Uttrakhand, India. For each experiment, a randomized block design with three replications was used. As stability parameters, the cultivar stability rank and SI were determined. To further analyze the data, GGE biplots, the AMMI, and the ASV were all applied. The G-E interaction was depicted using the genotype main effect. The findings of this research have a considerable impact on the selection of Java citronella cultivars in regions with higher essential oil production because they increase essential oil yields and improve stability. A superior Java citronella strain would yield a lot of essential oil, do so consistently, and flourish in a variety of conditions given India's climatic characteristics. Its essential oil has mosquito- and pest-repelling qualities. In major urban areas, citronella stand crops are used as green, aromatic vegetation. Its essential oil is used to make a variety of products, including soap, fragrances, cosmetics, and insect repellents. The ASV assists in choosing stable variants in the AMMI model on the multivariate side of things. The most stable cultivars are those with the lowest ASV. Average amounts of essential oil are produced by cultivars C1, C4, and C2, and because C1 produced more than C3 did, C5 was suggested for commercial planting.