Identification of stable oat wild relatives among Avena species for seed and forage yield components using joint regression analysis

Crop wild relatives are a good source of useful alleles for climate change adaptation. In present investigation, seven oat wild relatives (OWRs) including different Avena species tested against one commercial check of cultivated species A. sativa across three consecutive cropping seasons (Rabi 2018-19 to 2020-21) prevalent in North-western Himalayas at CSKHPKV, Palampur. Stability analysis was performed using Eberhart and Russell model for sixteen seed, forage yield and quality attributes. The mean squares for GE interaction were significant for most of the traits indicating differential response of genotypes to different environments. Both linear and non-linear components significantly contributed to genotype × environment interactions. Higher mean over commercial check, above average responsiveness with wider adaptable or stable genotypes identified were HFO 103 (A. orientalis) for seeds per panicle, HFO 498 (A. longiglumis) for harvest index and all the genotypes for protein content. Thus, these selected OWRs found stable and well adapted to all the types of climatic conditions of humid sub-temperate climate could be exploited in future breeding programme