Advancing the Understanding of Genotype-Environment Interaction for Yield Stability and Adaptability in Crop Breeding

Genotype-environment interaction (GEI) is a fundamental concept in plant breeding, as it significantly influences the adaptability, phenotypic plasticity, and yield stability of crops across heterogeneous agro-ecological conditions. Identifying genotypes that exhibit broad adaptability and consistent performance is crucial in securing global food production, particularly amidst growing climatic variability. Extensive research across a wide array of crops—ranging from cereals, legumes, oilseeds, to horticultural and medicinal plants—highlights the necessity of selecting stable, high-yielding genotypes that can mitigate risks associated with unpredictable environmental fluctuations.

The complexity of GEI has prompted the development of sophisticated statistical methods, such as the Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) model, and the Genotype plus Genotype-by-Environment (GGE) biplot analysis, to effectively partition genetic and environmental factors. These models facilitate the partitioning of main genetic effects and their interactions with environmental factors, thereby enabling precise identification of superior genotypes. Nevertheless, the intricate nature of GEI has led to the emergence of more advanced methodologies like the Multi-Trait Stability Index (MTSI) and the Multi-Trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI), which incorporate agronomic and physiological traits for a more comprehensive evaluation. Despite these advancements, significant challenges persist in fully capturing the dynamic and often nonlinear interactions between genotypic expression and environmental factors, necessitating continuous refinement of analytical tools.

This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of genotype-environment interactions with the objective of enhancing yield stability and adaptability across diverse ecological regions. We seek contributions that address key questions such as comparing current statistical models like AMMI and GGE biplot with newer indices like MTSI and MGIDI, as well as exploring the integration of these insights into precision breeding strategies.

To gather further insights in the domain of GEI, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Comparative analyses of AMMI, GGE biplot, MTSI, MGIDI, and other models for GEI assessment

• Genetic and physiological identification of genotypes with stable performance across environments

• Evaluation of crop resilience to climatic and agronomic challenges through multi-trait assessments

• The impact of climate variability and abiotic stresses on GEI and yield stability

• Development of innovative statistical and computational tools for GEI analysis

• Incorporating GEI-based findings into precision breeding and sustainable agriculture

We invite the submission of original research articles, reviews, and methodological studies to advance this field.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Genotype-environment Interaction, Crop Yield Stability, Statistical Modeling, Precision Agriculture, Climate Resilience

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.