Tuber Yield and Stability Assessment of Potato Genotypes in Bangladesh

Background: Scarcity of improved cultivars with wide adaptability and stability in tuber yield is one of the most important reasons for poor yield of potato in Bangladesh. The stable cultivars which perform well over a wide range of environments become very important for farmers and processors because they require reliable production and quality. The current study was aimed to evaluate 10 potato genotypes (eight BARI released cultivars and two advanced clones) grown in six regions to find high yielding and stable performing genotypes. Methods: Ten potato genotypes were evaluated at six locations of Bangladesh during season 2017-2018 following a randomized complete block design with three replications. The potato genotypes were sown on 15th November 2017. Fertilizer doses, irrigation, plant protection, weeding, earthing up and other agronomic practices were applied according to Tuber Crops Research Center (TCRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) recommendation. Plant height, canopy coverage, stems per hill, tubers per hill, marketable and non-marketable tuber yield at 65 days and at 90 days, tuber weight and dry matter (%) were recorded respectively. Result: Additive Main effect and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI), genotype and genotype x environment interaction (GGE) bi-plot analysis revealed that environment and genotype effects were highly significant. AMMI and GGE bi-plot illustrated that environments were diverse and variation among genotypes were found. Considering yield and yield contributing characters, BARI Alu-91 (Carolus) and BARI Alu-25 (Asterix) showed higher yield without further influenced by environment. BARI Alu-89 (Fortus), Clone 12.2 and Colomba had better mean performance with more adaptability and stability.