Evaluation of Advanced Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Genotypes for Yield and Yield Related Traits under High Potential Environments

The trial evaluated twenty two (22) advanced Faba bean genotypes included two standard checks using randomized complete block design (RCBD) design with two replications at four testing locations with the objectives of to evaluate genetic variability, assess associations of characters, estimate the effects of genotype, environment, and genotype x environment interaction on grain yield. The ANOVA result showed highly significant (p<0.01) differences were recorded among genotypes and location for days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of pods per plant, disease data except grain yield. From AMMI analysis, environment, genotype and their interaction had about 59%, 4.1% and 11.4% contributions of the total sum of squares respectively. Result indicated that the environments were diverse and causing most of the variation in genotypes. Genotypic coefficient of variation were recorded from the lowest to medium GCV for days to maturity and thousand seed weight respectively. Higher heritability values were estimated from days to flowering, plant height, number of pod per plant and thousands seed weight, indicating that the direct selection of this traits can be practiced in the evaluation of advanced Faba bean genotypes. Grain yield showed highly significant (p<0.01) and positive associations with traits of number of pods per plant this indicates that direct effects of traits on grain yield. According to AMMI2 biplot, the first two IPCA cumulatively accounted about 87.4% of the total genotype environment interactions, the first IPCA1 and second IPCA2 described about 53% and about 34.3% of the total sum square of genotype × environment interaction. Based on ASV scores the genotypes EK 05037-5, EK 05001-1 and EH 06006-6 had the lowest ASV score, thus which were the most widely stable genotypes across environments.