World Journal of Agricultural Sciences 10 (5): 210-215, 2014 ISSN 1817-3047 © IDOSI Publications, 2014 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjas.2014.10.5.1822 Corresponding Author: Muez Mehari, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Alamata Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box 56, Alamata, Ethiopia. E-mail: muez97@gmail.com. 210 Parametric Stability Analysis of Malt Barley Genotypes for Grain Yield in Tigray, Ethiopia Muez Mehari, Sentayehu Alamerew, Berhane Lakew, Haddis Yirga and Mizan Tesfay 1 2 3 1 1 Tigray agricultural research institute, 1 Alamata Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box56 Alamata, Ethiopia College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, Ethiopia 2 Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research Holetta Research Center, 3 P.O. Box 20420, Code 1000 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Abstract: An experiment was conducted using eight malt barley genotypes across eight environments with the objective of determining grain yield stability using parametric stability models. The trial was laid down in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in the production year 2012-2013. The combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences (P< 0.01) for genotype, environment and their genotype by environment interactions. The environment captured 72.71% of the variation. Strong rank correlation was observed between deviation from regression, Wricke’s ecovalence, Lin and Binns’s cultivar performance measure and additive main effect and multiplicative interaction effect stability value. The coefficient of variability and environmental variance were also strongly correlated. The interaction principal component one and two showed weak correlation with most of the parametric stability models. Mean grain yield was negatively correlated with environmental variance, Francis and Kannenberg’s coefficient of variability, Wricke’s Ecovalence, Lin and Binns’s cultivar performance measure and additive main effect and multiplicative interaction stability value. Grain yield was positively correlated with deviation from the regression. Generally using the parametric stability models the genotype Bekoji was ranked first with regard to the stability and mean grain yield followed by the genotype Frie Gebs. Using parametric stability model the environmental variance, Francis and Kannenberg’s coefficient of variability, Wricke’s Ecovalence, Lin and Binns’s cultivar performance measure, deviation from the regression and additive main effect and multiplicative interaction stability value the genotype Sabini was unstable coupled with low yield. Key words: ASV Genotype by Environment Interaction Stability INTRODUCTION The stability with which a plant breeder is concerned Crop failure is a usual phenomenon in developing important economically, such as grain yield and quality. countries where farmers are small-scale and characterized The desirable varieties that show low genotype by by fragile and marginal environments. Hence, yield environment interaction for agriculturally important traits, stability plays a major role in reducing crop failure. especially grain yield, but not necessarily for other The term stability of genotypes is central to all types of characteristics [3].Two different approaches commonly analysis of genotype by environment interactions, used to assessing stability are the static and the dynamic especially with reference to plant breeding stability has concepts [3].The static (biological) concept refers to the been described in many different ways over the years and constant performance of a genotype over a wide range there have also been different concepts of stability [1]. of environments implying that its variance among Generally stability is consistency in performance that environments is zero. This type is seldom a desired would mean minimum variation among environments for feature of crop cultivars, since no response to improved a particular genotype [2]. growing conditions. The dynamic (agronomical) concept implies stability in those aspects of phenotype which are