Unravelling chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotype stability through univariate and multivariate approaches under varying soil types and water regimes

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a vital protein-rich crop predominantly cultivated in rainfed conditions, making it vulnerable to environmental challenges like drought. Understanding genotype-by-environment interaction is crucial for developing cultivars that are adaptable to diverse climatic conditions. To identify promising genotypes for drought resilience, a multi-environment trial was conducted across 10 distinct environments varying in soil type and moisture, involving 21 chickpea genotypes. The study observed significant variation in seed yield among the genotypes, with genotype BGD103 (G4) consistently achieving the highest yields under drought- stress conditions. Combined variance analysis revealed that the environment accounted for 73.59% of the total variation in grain yield, while GEI contributed 13.95% and genotypes contributed 12.44%. GGE and AMMI biplots further illustrated the relationships between environments and genotypes, identifying environments E5, E1, and E3 (characterized by medium black soil) as favourable for chickpea cultivation. Genotypes (G1), (G4), and JG16 (G11) were recognized as stable and high-yielding across these environments. Additionally, genotypes BDG75, BGD103, Digvijay (G5), GNG1581 (G7), Pusa1003 (G14) and RSG896 (G18) demonstrated broad adaptability across all environments. Parametric and non-parametric stability models pinpointed genotypes BDG75, BGD103, GNG1581, and RSG896 as the most stable. Further, genotypes G1, G4, and G18 showing consistent genetic stability and high yields across diverse conditions. These findings provide valuable insights for chickpea breeding programs focused on enhancing yield resilience under water stress conditions, contributing to the development of robust, water stress resilient cultivars.