Yield stability and adaptability of maize hybrids based on GGE biplot analysis characteristics

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate stability and adaptability of the grain yield of commercial intervarietal maize hybrids by the GGE (Genotype and Genotype by Environment Interaction) biplot and AMMI (Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction) analyses. Two intervarietal hybrids (BIO 2 and BIO4) were evaluated together with single, double and three-way cross hybrids. The performance of the intervarietal hybrid BIO 4 was superior to all double and three-way cross hybrids and outmatched the single-cross hybrids by 43%. In terms of stability, BIO 2 was more stable than BIO4, which is desirable, but biological stability, which is not necessarily desirable, was also observed, since the yield was below the environmental mean. The graphical GGE biplot analysis was superior to the AMMI1 since a greater portion of the sum of squares of GE and G+GE was captured and the predictive accuracy was higher. On the other hand, the AMMI2 graph outperformed the GGE biplot in predictive accuracy and explanation of G + GE and GE, although the difference in accuracy was smaller than between GGE2 and AMMI1.