Author(s):
Durum wheat is a type of wheat with high protein content and is commonly used to make pasta couscous and some types of bread. The study was conducted at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center (ATARC), Lume, and Dugda Districts in the 2020 and 2021 main cropping seasons to identify stable, high-yielding durum wheat varieties for East Shewa Zone and comparable agro-ecologies. Seven durum wheat varieties were used as planting material. The experiment followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Each plot measured 2.5m × 1.2m (3 m2), consisting of 6 rows with a row spacing of 0.20 m and a replication spacing of 0.50m, with 1m between blocks. Data on yield and related factors were collected and analyzed. Both the main effects of genotype and environment, as well as the interaction effect of genotype x environment, were found to be significant for durum wheat. According to the AMMI model, the environment contributed to 51.27% of the total variation, GXE 11.99%, and variety 23.41%. The substantial influence of the environment suggests it plays a key role in durum wheat yield performance. The first two IPCAs are the most accurate models for predicting variety stability, explaining 67.99% (IPCA-I) and 21.92% (IPCA-II) of GEI. Based on stability parameters (ASV and GGE-Biplot), the mean yield results indicated that Dirre and Alemtena are the most stable varieties across test locations. Consequently, Dirre and Alemtena are recommended for the study area and similar agroecological settings.
