Root Yield Research Articles

Residual plastic film decreases crop yield and water use efficiency through direct negative effects on soil physicochemical properties and root growth

Film mulching has been extensively used to improve agricultural production in arid regions of China. However, without sufficient mulch film recovery, large amounts of residual film accumulated in the farmland, which would affect crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE). In order to comprehensively analyze the effects of residual film on crop yield and WUE, and clarify its influencing mechanism, present study adopted a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the impacts of residual film on soil physicochemical properties, crop root growth, yield, and WUE. The results showed that residual film significantly increased soil bulk density and the soil moisture content in 0–20 cm soil layer, but decreased soil porosity, soil organic matter, soil total nitrogen content, and soil moisture content in >20 cm soil layer, especially when residual film amount was >400 kg ha−1. Residual film significantly reduced crop root dry weight, root length, root diameter, root volume and root surface area. Generally, crop yield and WUE decreased with the increase of residual film amount; and crop yield was reduced by about 14.00 % when the residual film amount increased by 1000 kg ha−1. In average, crop yield and WUE under film residual condition were significantly decreased by 13.46 % and 9.21 %, respectively. The negative effects of residual film on root growth, yield and WUE were greater for cash crops (cotton, tomato and potato) than for cereal crops (wheat, maize). The structural equation model indicated that residual film generated indirect negative effects on crop yield and WUE by directly affecting soil physicochemical properties and crop root growth, with the standard path coefficients of −0.302 and − 0.217, respectively. The results would provide a theoretical basis for reducing residual film pollution on farmland and promoting the green and sustainable development of agriculture.

Variation among cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) genotypes for storage root yield, yield components and response to cassava mosaic disease at the advanced breeding stage

Variation among cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) genotypes for storage root yield, yield components and response to cassava mosaic disease at the advanced breeding stage

Effectiveness of use zeolite in vegetable growing in the footdown zone of southeast Kazakhstan

Natural zeolite from the Shankanay deposit is effective for use as an additive to mineral fertilizers when growing vegetable crops in the foothill zone of south-east Kazakhstan. Zeolite added to the soil with mineral fertilizers leads to an increase in the water-physical properties of dark chestnut soil. The water permeability of these options has increased noticeably. The use of zeolite and fertilizers helps to increase the mobile forms of nitrate nitrogen, mobile phosphorus and exchangeable potassium. The addition of zeolite reduces the concentrations of mobile forms of heavy metals in the dark chestnut soil under study. Thus, the concentration of cadmium in the soil in a 0-20 cm layer under sowing table beets when using 2 tons of zeolite decreased by 50% with a control value of 1.0 mg/kg, which does not exceed the maximum permissible concentration.A positive effect of zeolite fertilizer on the productivity of vegetable crops was revealed, which makes it possible to increase the total yield of table beet roots from 42.8 t/ha in control to 43.3-62.7 t/ha in fertilized variants with an increase in yield from 4.4 t/ha up to 19.9 t/ha. The yield of cabbage was 25.7 t/ha on the control, and increased by 6.5-16.5 t/ha on the fertilized variants. The use of zeolite and fertilizers contributes to the production of vegetables with good and high quality indicators. Application of both zeolite and fertilizers increased the dry matter, sugar and vitamin C content of the studied crops. The amount of nitrates in the products decreased with the addition of zeolite and increased in other variants of the experiment, but did not exceed the maximum permissible concentration. Thus, in the control variant, the nitrate content in cabbage heads was 223 mg/kg wet weight, in the variants with zeolite 2t/ha - 205 mg/kg, in beetroots - 248 mg/kg and 195 mg/kg, respectively.

Using PCR and RCA Techniques to Investigate the Variants of Cassava Mosaic Virus and Their Distribution in Ghana

Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) caused by cassava begomoviruses is the major constraint to cassava production in Ghana. The disease is known to cause reduction in root yield. To ascertain the distribution of viruses causing CMD, 95 diseased cassava samples were collected in two agroecological zones of Ghana-Deciduous Forest zone and the Transitional zone. On a scale of 1-5, CMD severity was scored. Mean CMD severity score was 2.9, however there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the zones. Averagely, CMD score of > 2.8 in 71% of farms visited was recorded. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rolling circle amplification (RCA) were employed for virus identification. PCR revealed that African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV), East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV) and mixed infections were prevalent in both zones. EACMV-Cameroon strain was also identified to be common within these zones. The transitional zone had the highest percentage of CMD infection. Unamplified samples from PCR were amplified using rolling circle amplification (RCA) technique. Amplification and characterisation of complete genome sequences of two isolates were carried out. The complete genome of 2780 nucleotides from samples showed a high similarity to African cassava mosaic virus-Ghana (ACMV-GH). Sequences clustered with ACMV-Ivory Coast, ACMV Nigeria-Ogo, ACMV-BF, ACMV-UG having > 96% identity. This shows the close relation that exists amongst the ACMV strains in Africa. These findings highlight the need for a continuous survey of CMD to help manage the disease in the country.

Optimizing an Organic Method of Sugar Beet Cultivation and Yield Gap Decrease in Northern Poland

In the period of 2016–2018, two series of field studies on organic sugar beet growing (Beta vulgaris L.) were carried out in northern Poland on Luvisol loamy soil (medium–heavy) soil in Bałcyny and Płonne. The aim of this study was to decrease the yield gap between organic and conventional beets. Factors to increase the yield of organic beet were differentiated fertilization (cattle farmyard manure (FYM), compost, and Bioilsa) and choice of varieties (Eliska, Jampol, and Sobieski). The reference point was the conventional cultivation of the same sugar beet varieties, fertilized with manure and NPK mineral fertilizers, the prevailing standard of sugar beet cultivation in Poland. High sugar beet root yields exceeding the average yield in Poland by 25–30% were obtained in both studies, both in conventional and organic cultivation. Higher root and white sugar yields were obtained in the study conducted at Płonne (with similar soil conditions to those at Bałcyny), but they were characterized by higher temperatures during the growing season. The lowest root yields in both experiments were obtained by fertilizing the organic beet with compost (66.1 t per ha in Bałcyny and 78.13 t per ha in Płonne), which were 10.8% and 8.5% lower than the conventional crop, respectively. Higher root yields in organic cultivation were obtained by fertilizing the sugar beet with FYM, which reduced the differences from conventional beet to 7.7% in the study in Bałcyny and 2.1% in the study in Płonne. Thus, the results showed no need to convert cattle FYM to compost. The highest root yields in organic cultivation were obtained by fertilizing the sugar beet with Bioilsa N 12.5 supplemented with mineral fertilization of K, Mg, and S (Patentkali). This fertilization provided a yield of 78.1 t of roots per ha in Bałcyny, which is a reduction in the yield gap to 1.4%, a statistically insignificant value. Moreover, in the study at Płonne, organic sugar beet fertilized with Bioilsa and Patentkali yielded 86.7 t of roots per ha, compared to 85.6 t per ha of conventional beet, so a yield gap was not seen here. The choice of varieties was also of great importance for root and pure sugar yields in both farming systems. The lowest yields were obtained from the Eliska variety, and at Bałcyny, a change of beet cultivar to Jampol increased the organic root yield from 68.8 t per ha to 76.0 t per ha, while reducing the yield gap from 10.1% to 2.2%. At Płonne, replacing the Eliska variety with Jampol reduced the yield gap between organic and conventional roots from 6.6% to 0.3%.

Yield performance and anthocyanin content of several purple-fleshed sweet potato clones grown in two locations in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract. Arsa IGBA, Mau YS, Ndiwa ASS, Gandut YRY, Ishaq LF, Mahayasa INW. 2024. Yield performance and anthocyanin content of several purple-fleshed sweet potato clones grown in two locations in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 2276-2289. Several promising purple-fleshed sweet potato hybrid clones were identified to have high yield potential and, thus, can be evaluated for other superior traits and later be further processed for varietal registration and release. This study aimed to determine the tuber yield performance and anthocyanin content of several purple-fleshed sweet potato clones across two locations and to identify the best clones based on mean performance and stability. The study was conducted in the farmer's field in two different altitudes in West Timor, i.e., Mata Air Village, Kupang District (86 masl) and Netpala Village, Timor Tengah Selatan (TTS) District (1,090 masl) from April to September 2023. Six purple-fleshed sweet potato clones/varieties were assigned as treatment. The experiment was laid out in a complete block design in each location, and each treatment consisted of three replicates. Observed data included fresh storage root yield, number of storage roots per plant, storage root length, storage root tuber diameter, and tuber anthocyanin content. Observed data from the two trial locations were subjected to a combined ANOVA, cluster analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and GGE biplot analysis. The results showed that the genotype-by-location interaction effect was significant in all studied traits. Meanwhile, location or genotype significantly affected all traits except for the location, which did not significantly affect the anthocyanin content. The storage root yield ranged from ~19.95 t ha-1 to ~49.33 t ha-1, while the anthocyanin content ranged from ~28,64 mg/100 g to ~157,65 mg/100 g. The ranks of the tested genotypes based on the mean performance and stability are Undana UJ 7>Undana UJ 1>JPV-1>Antin 3>Undana UJ 6>Undana UJ 3 for storage root yield and JPV-1>Antin 3>Undana UJ 7>Undana UJ 6>Undana UJ 3>Undana UJ 1 for anthocyanin content.

Effects of Different Sources of Fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Radish is a widely cultivated root crop susceptible to chemicals for its growth and development. The experiment was conducted to study the effect of different sources of organic fertilizers on growth and yield parameters in the Tokinashi variety of radish. The experiment was laid out using one factorial completely randomized block design with six treatments replicated four times. Vermicompost, goat manure, chemical fertilizers (NPK), poultry manure, farmyard manure and control were the applied treatments. Various growth and yield parameters of radish were measured and assessed at 15-day intervals. Various growth and yield parameters of radish were measured and assessed at 15-day intervals. Growth parameters were observed at 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after sowing. For yield parameters, destructive samples were taken and observed at 30 DAS and 45 DAS and harvested at 60 DAS. The assessments of plant growth and yield parameters showed that poultry manure (PM) treatments were superior. At the time of harvesting, the treatment comprising poultry manure had considerably greater plant height (30.55 cm), leaf length (29.44cm), leaf breadth (10.78cm), leaf number per plant (9.23), root diameter (10.33cm) and root length (20.16cm) with superior yield per ha (33.59 mt ha-1). Poultry manure significantly enhanced root yield and was positively correlated with all growth parameters. The highest benefit-cost (B: C) ratio was recorded in chemical fertilizer (3.99), which was statistically at par with poultry manure (3.81), suggesting that poultry manure might potentially replace chemical fertilizers for the Tokinashi variety of radish cultivation.

Impact of power plant fly ash on heavy metal accumulation in the environment, crop root, shoot, endosperm and crop yield

Impact of power plant fly ash on heavy metal accumulation in the environment, crop root, shoot, endosperm and crop yield

GGE biplot analysis for yield performance and stability assessment of carrot genotypes (Daucus carota L.) under multi-environment trials (METs)

The stability of yield and contributing traits is a very important factor for long-term development and sustainability of cultivars. The genotype x environment (G × E) interaction on the yield stability in twenty-eight genotypes of carrot was studied under eight environments E1-E8 (different sowing dates) over the two years (2019–20 and 2020–21) at Vegetable Research Farm, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications under each environment. At each harvest, data was recorded for root yield (q acre−1), marketable yield (q acre−1), root length (cm), root weight (g), root-shoot ratio, root diameter (cm), core diameter (cm), shoot length (cm), shoot weight (g) and number of leaves plant−1. The data was analyzed with ANOVA, mixed models, BLUPs, GGE biplot and multi stability index for stability statistics. For all the traits, pooled analysis of variance revealed highly significant (p < 0.01) variations between genotypes, environments and genotype by environment (G × E interaction). The mean vs. stability view of GGE biplots revealed that genotype PC-171 (G6) performed better in the months of August and September of both the years (E1, E2, E5 and E6). PC-160 (G3) followed by Cartvar-2 (G25) performed better in the month of October (E3 and E7) for the root yield parameter. Mean across the environments and BLUP values of genotypes for all the traits showed similar results. Hence, GGE biplot graphically explained the interrelationships between the tested environments and genotypes, classified genotypes into three categories early, mid or late season based on their mean performance and stability in the given growing environment.

Conservation tillage: a way to improve yield and soil properties and decrease global warming potential in spring wheat agroecosystems.

Climate change is one of the main challenges, and it poses a tough challenge to the agriculture industry globally. Additionally, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the main contributor to climate change; however, croplands are a prominent source of GHG emissions. Yet this complex challenge can be mitigated through climate-smart agricultural practices. Conservation tillage is commonly known to preserve soil and mitigate environmental change by reducing GHG emissions. Nonetheless, there is still a paucity of information on the influences of conservation tillage on wheat yield, soil properties, and GHG flux, particularly in the semi-arid Dingxi belt. Hence, in order to fill this gap, different tillage systems, namely conventional tillage (CT) control, straw incorporation with conventional tillage (CTS), no-tillage (NT), and stubble return with no-tillage (NTS), were laid at Dingxi, Gansu province of China, under a randomized complete block design with three replications to examine their impacts on yield, soil properties, and GHG fluxes. Results depicted that different conservative tillage systems (CTS, NTS, and NT) significantly (p < 0.05) increased the plant height, number of spikes per plant, seed number per meter square, root yield, aboveground biomass yield, thousand-grain weight, grain yield, and dry matter yield compared with CT. Moreover, these conservation tillage systems notably improved the soil properties (soil gravimetric water content, water-filled pore space, water storage, porosity, aggregates, saturated hydraulic conductivity, organic carbon, light fraction organic carbon, carbon storage, microbial biomass carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen storage, microbial biomass nitrogen, total phosphorous, available phosphorous, total potassium, available potassium, microbial counts, urease, alkaline phosphatase, invertase, cellulase, and catalase) while decreasing the soil temperature and bulk density over CT. However, CTS, NTS, and NT had non-significant effects on ECe, pH, and stoichiometric properties (C:N ratio, C:P ratio, and N:P ratio). Additionally, conservation-based tillage regimes NTS, NT, and CTS significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the emission and net global warming potential of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) by 23.44, 19.57, and 16.54%, respectively, and decreased the greenhouse gas intensity by 23.20, 29.96, and 18.72%, respectively, over CT. We conclude that NTS is the best approach to increasing yield, soil and water conservation, resilience, and mitigation of agroecosystem capacity.

Exploring farmer’s assessment of soil quality and root yield in cassava-based cropping systems

Farmers’ knowledge of soil quality and yield assessment were evaluated among cassava farmers in southwestern Nigeria. Data were collected on farmers’ demography, farming experience, criteria for selecting a site for cassava cultivation and preferences for those criteria, farmers’ methods of yield prediction and how it compares with the scientific approach, farmers’ agronomic knowledge and how it relates to the realities of climate change and soil fertility decline. The modal age class of the farmers is 45–55 years, and most of the farmers are male. The results show that farmers use a combination of soil and vegetation-based criteria to assess soil quality from which the decision to cultivate a given land is made. Among the soil-based criteria, soil drainage, colour, and depth rank the most and most used. Most of the farmers assessed yield before harvesting through green healthy leaves (25 %), large and shiny stems (25 %) and soil cracks (50 %). The predicted and measured cassava yields on farmer-managed farms were comparable, with an R2 of 0.63, although farmers overestimated the cassava root yield. There is a unanimous consensus among farmers that yield has declined in the last decade, with a mean of 36 %. The main cause of yield decline was attributed to declining rainfall and poor soils. Our study concluded that farmers have a good understanding of soil health and cassava agronomy through a process of trial and error and ingenuity as farmers’ local indices were consistent with conventional soil health indicators. It was suggested that, by recognising and incorporating traditional methods used by farmers to assess soil quality, we could enhance soil management strategies and raise productivity at the farm level.

Genetic variation and determination the optimal crop age for harvest in cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) accessions based on accumulated storage root yield

Genetic variation and determination the optimal crop age for harvest in cassava ( <i>Manihot esculenta</i> Crantz) accessions based on accumulated storage root yield

Evaluation of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars for some biochemical and agronomic traits under drought stress

This experiment aimed to evaluate quantitative and qualitative characteristics, tolerance to water deficit, and stability of white sugar in sugar beet cultivars. The experimental design was a split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications, where the irrigation levels (normal and water shortage) were assigned to the main plots and 18 sugar beet cultivars were assigned to the subplots. The result revealed that Palma achieved the maximum root and white sugar yield under normal and water deficit; furthermore, the highest indices of YP, YS, MP, STI, HM, YI, DI, REI and MRP belonged to the Palma cultivar. The results of the AMMI analysis based on white sugar yield showed that the additive effects of genotype and environment and the multiplicative effect of G×E accounted for 75.52, 17.05 and 6.76 % of the total data variance. Based on AMMI stability value, the Delta, Pars, Paya and Novodoro cultivars were recognized as stable varieties. Also, the first 2 significant components of the interaction effect (G×E) accounted for 99.12 % of interaction effects variation. Based on the biplot results of the first 2 significant components against white sugar yield, Azare and Merak were the appropriate cultivars. Finally, Based on the multi-trait stability index, Azara, Novodoro and Merak cultivars were selected as stable genotypes. In 2 years and 2 conditions, the Palma cultivar was identified as a cultivar with high yield and drought tolerance and low stability and the Merak cultivar was identified as a cultivar with white sugar yield and acceptable stability.

Studies on Root Growth, Yield and Resilience of Winter Wheat Under Waterlogging Control in Huaibei Plain, China

Studies on Root Growth, Yield and Resilience of Winter Wheat Under Waterlogging Control in Huaibei Plain, China

Does the Amount of Pre-Sowing Nitrogen Fertilization Affect Sugar Beet Root Yield and Quality of Different Genotypes?

There has always been a specific focus on nitrogen fertilization in sugar beet production due to its important effect on sugar beet root yield and quality. For stable sugar beet growth and satisfactory root yield and quality, balanced N fertilization is crucial. Thus, this study aimed to investigate spring N fertilization in two seasons as the following treatments: N0—control, N1—only pre-sowing fertilization, and N2—pre-sowing with topdressing. Four different genotypes were included in the study (Serenada, Colonia, Fred, and Danton). The experiment was set up in a plain area, belonging to the temperate climate zone in Eastern Croatia (Županja and Vrbanja), with the long-term mean (LTM) (March–October) air temperature around 16 °C and the total precipitation of 515 mm. Pre-sowing N fertilization had a smaller impact on root yield in the year with higher precipitation (31% higher than LTM). Therefore, the average yields with pre-sowing fertilization (N1) and pre-sowing fertilization with top dressing (N2) were very similar and were only 7% higher than those of the control. In a season with less rainfall (29% less than LTM), pre-sowing fertilization with top dressing (N2) had a more pronounced effect on the increase in sugar beet root yield, which was 17% higher compared to that of the control treatment. The sugar beet sucrose content and quality parameters (brei impurities, loss of sugar in molasses, extractable sugar) differed when N fertilization was applied among locations in both seasons. The white sugar yield was the highest at N2 treatment with pre-sowing and topdressing N fertilization. In general, according to the average of all locations and years of research, the Serenada hybrid achieved the highest average root yield (81.1 t ha−1), while Colonia exhibited the highest root sugar content (14.5%) and white sugar yield (9.7 t ha−1).

Comparative analysis of infected cassava root transcriptomics reveals candidate genes for root rot disease resistance

Cassava root-rot incited by soil-borne pathogens is one of the major diseases that reduces root yield. Although the use of resistant cultivars is the most effective method of management, the genetic basis for root-rot resistance remains poorly understood. Therefore, our work analyzed the transcriptome of two contrasting genotypes (BRS Kiriris/resistant and BGM-1345/susceptible) using RNA-Seq to understand the molecular response and identify candidate genes for resistance. Cassava seedlings (resistant and susceptible to root-rot) were both planted in infested and sterilized soil and samples from Initial-time and Final-time periods, pooled. Two controls were used: (i) seedlings collected before planting in infested soil (absolute control) and, (ii) plants grown in sterilized soil (mock treatments). For the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis 23.912 were expressed in the resistant genotype, where 10.307 were differentially expressed in the control treatment, 15 DEGs in the Initial Time-period and 366 DEGs in the Final Time-period. Eighteen candidate genes from the resistant genotype were related to plant defense, such as the MLP-like protein 31 and the peroxidase A2-like gene. This is the first model of resistance at the transcriptional level proposed for the cassava × root-rot pathosystem. Gene validation will contribute to screening for resistance of germplasm, segregating populations and/or use in gene editing in the pursuit to develop most promising cassava clones with resistance to root-rot.

Compensation of cotton yield by nitrogen fertilizer in non-mulched fields with deficit drip irrigation

Irrigation and fertilization are the main measures used by farmers to maintain crop yield and quality, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. To investigate the compensation of cotton yield loss due to deficit drip irrigation in non-mulched fields by increasing nitrogen (N) fertilizer application, a split-plot experiment with irrigation amount as the main plot and N application as the subplot was carried out in southern Xinjiang, China. The experiment included two irrigation amounts of 450 mm (deficit irrigation, W1) and 540 mm (full irrigation, W2) and three N application rates of 150 kg ha−1 (F1), 225 kg ha−1 (F2), and 300 kg ha−1 (F3). From the cotton seedling stage, ET0 (reference evapotranspiration) was calculated from daily meteorological data and irrigation was applied when the cumulative ET0-P reached 45 ± 3 mm. The results showed that irrigation and fertilization significantly affected soil moisture and total N, which in turn affected cotton growth, biomass formation, and yield (P<0.05). Soil water storage (SWS) increased by 15.9% on average under W2 compared to W1. F2 and F3 decreased SWS by 5.0%-5.1% and 7.7%-10.9% respectively, compared to F1. Total soil nitrogen in W2 was on average 13.3% lower than W1, and F2 and F3 were 4.4%-11.1% and 11.3%-16.5% lower than F1, respectively. Aboveground biomass increased significantly with increasing irrigation and N amounts and was 47.9% higher in W2F3 than in W1F1. However, the increased biomass was not translated into yield and excessive accumulation of root and stem biomass reduced cotton yield. Under full irrigation (W2), cotton yield increased and then decreased with increasing N application. Cotton yield in F2 increased by 3.4% and 8.6% compared to F1 and F3, respectively. Under deficit irrigation (W1), N fertilizer compensation increased with increasing N application, and cotton yield in F3 increased by 10.3% and 15.0% compared to F1 and F2, respectively (P<0.05). TOPSIS analysis showed that W1F3 had the highest rank, followed by W1F2. The results indicated that W1F3, irrigation amount of 450 mm and N application rate of 300 kg ha−1, could be proposed for cotton fields under non-mulched drip irrigation in southern Xinjiang, China.

Effect of long-term application of fertilizers on the yield and energy productivity of sugar beet

Effect of long-term application of fertilizers on the yield and energy productivity of sugar beet

On farm diversity and genetic erosion of sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.]

ABSTRACT Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] varieties can be distinguished by their flesh and skin colors (white, yellow, orange, and purple). The present study was undertaken to assess on-farm diversity and the status of genetic erosion of sweet potatoes in Haramaya district, Ethiopia. Data were collected for similarity/dissimilarity index, preference index, and genetic erosion. The result of the preference index indicated the highest preference index (25.60) with preference rank 1 recorded for the BeelaBochol genotype as the lowest preference index (12.10) was recorded for the BeelaBaleyso genotype. About 66% of the respondents use the intercropping system for sweet potato cultivation. The majority of respondents 97% observed loss of sweet potato varieties. Eighty-two percent of the respondent farmers suggested the use of their seed source for planting. About 73% of the respondents suggested the cultivation of sweet potato as a subsistence crop. The major constraints of sweet potato cultivation, as suggested by the respondents, were tiresome land preparation 37%, lack of improved variety 26%, land scarcity 23%, and market demand 15%. It can be concluded from the result of the present study that farmers can identify and prefer sweet potato genotypes frequently using storage root yield and boiled quality.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) genotype selection using advanced indices and statistical models: A multi-year approach

In Bangladesh, sweet potato holds the fourth position as a crucial carbohydrate source, trailing rice, wheat, and potato. However, locally grown sweet potato varieties often display limited stability and yield. To tackle this challenge, diverse selection methods and statistical models were utilized to pinpoint sweet potato genotypes showcasing both stability and superior yield and quality traits. In the initial two years, multiple selection methods were employed to narrow down the collections based on preferences for yield and its contributing traits. Subsequently, a multi-environment trial (MET) was conducted in the following year to pinpoint superior and stable genotypes with desirable yield and quality characteristics. An integrated approach involving the Multi-Trait Genotype Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI), Factor Analysis and Ideotype-Design (FAI-BLUP), and Smith-Hazel Index (SH) led to the identification of 71 superior sweet potato genotypes out of a total of 351 in the initial growing season. In the subsequent season, the MGIDI selection index was applied to the 71 genotypes, resulting in the selection of 11 top-performing genotypes. This selection process was complemented by a detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the selected genotypes. In the MET, the mixed effect model, specifically the linear mixed model (LMM), identified significant genotypic and genotype-environment interaction (GEI) variances. This points to elevated heritability and selection accuracy, ultimately boosting the model's reliability. By combining the strengths of LMM and additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) index identified H20 as the top-performing genotype for marketable root yield (MRY), H37 for dry weight of root (DW), H8 for beta carotene (BC) and H41 for vitamin c (VC). These genotypes surpassed the overall average in the WAAS index. For simultaneous stability and high performance, the WAASBY index selected H37 for MRY, H6 for DW, H61 for BC, and H3 for VC. Finally, genotypes H3 and H20 were selected using multi-trait stability index (MTSI), as they possessed high performance and stability. Based on the selection sense, the objective has been achieved with regards to the trait MRW, which serves as a major criterion for a superior variety of sweet potato.