Adaptability and stability of soybean cultivars in four sowing seasons

Abstract

In recent decades, the expansion of soybean production in Brazil has been observed. This advance was motivated by the search of environments with better cultivation conditions, as well as the development of genotypes with wide adaptation. The diversity of "environments" hinders the process of selection and recommendation of cultivars, since the productive potential of a cultivar is given as a function of the sum of the genotype effect, the environment and the interaction between the latter two (G x E). In the case of this G x E interaction, regional studies are necessary in order to detail the differential behavior of the cultivars. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the genotype interaction by environments, adaptability and phenotypic stability for grain yield, of fifteen soybean cultivars, in four sowing seasons, in order to identify cultivars that combine high productive potential, predictability of behavior and adaptation to the edaphoclimatic conditions of Uberlândia-MG. The trials were conducted at the Experimental Farm Capim Branco, in Uberlândia-MG. Fifteen soybean cultivars were evaluated in four sowing seasons (October 23, 2016, November 19, 2016, December 10, 2016 and January 14, 2017), in relation to grain yield. The experimental design was of randomized complete blocks, with three replications, in each season. Data were submitted to individual and joint analyzes. The G x E interaction was decomposed by the method proposed by Cruz and Castoldi (1991). The differential behavior of the genotypes was detailed by the adaptability and phenotypic stability by the methods of Eberhart and Russell (1966), Lin and Binns (1988) modified by Carneiro (1998), AMMI and Centroid. By the analysis of joint variance, it was observed the existence of the cultivar interaction by sowing times (C x E), for the grain yield trait, at the 5 % probability level by the F test. The C x E was predominantly complex in nature. The cultivar CD 2737 RR presented satisfactory results for the four sowing seasons in Uberlândia-MG, with high grain yield and predictability of behavior, by the evaluated methods. The cultivar NS 6909 IPRO was classified into favorable environments by the methods of Eberhart and Russell (1966) and Lin and Binns (1988) modified by Carneiro (1998). Considering Lin and Binns (1988) modified by Carneiro (1998) and Centroid the cultivar that is also classified for this cultivation condition is UFUS 8301. By AMMI, UFUS 7415, CD 2737 RR and UFUS Milionária are considered stable and adaptable.