Winter Wheat Eastern European Regional Yield Trial: Identification of Superior Genotypes and Characterization of Environments

Abstract

The International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP)—a collaboration between the government of Turkey, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)—develops and globally distributes improved winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) germplasm. The Winter Wheat Eastern European Regional Yield Trial was conducted by IWWIP during 1998–2005 using elite lines and varieties from IWWIP, Eastern Europe (EE), the United States, and Central and West Asia (CWA). This study analyzed data to identify superior genotypes and key locations that could be useful for future international collaboration on winter wheat. Grain yield and agronomic traits of 422 elite breeding lines and new varieties from 17 countries were evaluated across 39 locations. Superior genotypes and key environments for grain yield were determined using genotype and genotype × environment biplot analyses. Many superior genotypes were identified for both EE and CWA, and 11 genotypes showed high, stable grain yield across the regions. The most representative and discriminating sites for grain yield were Konya and Eskisehir, Turkey (overall); Edirne, Turkey (CWA); and Dobrich, Bulgaria (EE). These findings represent a comprehensive analysis of yield and stability of a large, globally important set of winter wheat genotypes and growing locations, which may be useful for national and international winter wheat improvement programs.