1ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500 030, Telangana, India
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, 785 013, Assam, India
*Corresponding Author: Ramendra Nath Sarma, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, 785 013, Assam, India, E-Mail: ramendra.sarma@aau.ac.in
Online published on 2 July, 2025.
Forage sorghum is a versatile and sustainable crop that is less demanding on inputs, produces significant biomass, and is tolerant of drought. In the present study, a set of 30 forage sorghum genotypes, including 21 B lines and nine varieties or fertility restorer lines, were evaluated under five different environments in Assam and Hyderabad during kharif, rabi, and summer 2020-2021 for 12 forage yield-related traits. Phenotypic stability was analyzed using multivariate techniques, including the weighted average absolute scores of BLUPs (WAASB) stability index and the multi-trait genotype ideotype distance index (MGIDI). A WAASBY, Y x WAASB bi-plot analysis revealed that genotypes G24 (348B), G25 (424B), and G30 (SSG-59-3) exhibited excellent stability with higher mean performance. MGIDI identified four genotypes, viz., G30 (SSG-59-3), G7 (NSS11B), G19 (327B) and G24 (348B), with higher mean performance and stability for all the 12 studied traits. These selected genotypes exhibited high heritability and genetic gain for green forage yield, indicating their stability and desirability. The strength-weakness plot showed that all selected genotypes were weak contributors to the MGIDI for all traits. This indicates that these genotypes are stable and closer to the ideotype, making them ideal candidates for breeding programs aimed at improving these traits.
Forage sorghum, GEI, MGIDI, Stability, WAASB
