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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Pathogen Interactions
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1427483

Genotype × environment interaction: Trade-Offs between the agronomic performance and stability of durum (Triticum turgidum) wheat to stem-rust resistance in Kenya

Provisionally accepted
Emmaculate Akinyi Emmaculate Akinyi 1*Sammy L. Madahana Sammy L. Madahana 1Sridhar Bhavani Sridhar Bhavani 2Godwin Macharia Godwin Macharia 3*
  • 1 Food Crops Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Embu, Kenya
  • 2 The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya
  • 3 Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Nairobi, Kenya

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Stem rust is a significant threat to production of durum wheat and frequently leads in substantial yield losses. It is important to understand the resistance mechanisms and stability of durum lines in stem rust-prone circumstances. This study utilized 7 × 7 alpha lattice design at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Njoro, to evaluate the stability and resistance of 49 durum genotypes across three seasons. We collected data on adult-plant resistance, disease progression using the final disease score (FDS) and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), and agronomic performance. Statistical analyses showed significant seasonal and genotypic effects on FDS, AUDPC, spike length, and grain yield (p≤0.01; p≤0.001), with notable genotype-by-season interactions impacting these traits (p≤0.05; p≤0.001). Broad-sense heritability estimates ranged from high (0.91 for AUDPC) to moderate (0.35 for kernels per spike), indicating genetic influences on these traits. Negative correlations between disease parameters and agronomic traits suggest potential trade-offs between resistance and agronomic characteristics. Genotype and genotype by environment (GGE) biplot analysis identified the first season (main season of 2019) as most critical for evaluating stem rust resistance. Durum lines G45, G68, G465, G487, G1196, and G1566 demonstrated consistent resistance across all seasons, proving their reliability. Additionally, GGE biplot analysis of yield highlighted G247, G59, and G13 as the highest yielding and most stable lines.The identification of these resistant and high-performing genotypes is vital for enhancing durum breeding programs, helping mitigate the impact of stem rust and improve overall yield performance.

    Keywords: durum wheat, stem rust, genotype-environment interaction, Genetic Variation, Agronomic performance

    Received: 03 May 2024; Accepted: 04 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Akinyi, Madahana, Bhavani and Macharia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Emmaculate Akinyi, Food Crops Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Embu, Kenya
    Godwin Macharia, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Nairobi, 00200, Kenya

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.