Decoding yield variability in hungarian vetch: A biplot-based analysis across two regions

Abstract

Climate change poses significant challenges to agriculture in T & uuml;rkiye, where diverse climatic conditions demand resilient forage crops to meet rising roughage demands. This study evaluates the performance of Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica Crantz), a cold- and drought-tolerant legume, to enhance sustainable forage production. Eight genotypes (Line-5, Line-16, Line-23, Line-28, Tarm White, Aegean White, Budak, and Oguz) were tested in Bilecik and Bingol during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 growing seasons using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Key traits such as pods per plant, thousand-seed weight, biological yield, seed yield, straw yield, and harvest index were analyzed using Genotype plus Genotype-by-Environment (GGE) biplot analysis based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The distribution of these traits was also examined using box plots. Results showed significant variations: pods per plant ranged from 17.5 to 21.7, thousand-seed weight from 26.8 to 42.6 g, biological yield from 5710 to 8780 kg ha-1, seed yield from 826 to 1132 kg ha-1, straw yield from 4997 to 7643 kg ha-1, and harvest index (HI) from 13.9% to 21.0%. Aegean White excelled in seed yield, while Line-16 showed the highest harvest index. GGE biplot analysis highlighted harvest index as the primary variance contributor, emphasizing genotype-environment interactions for selecting adaptable cultivars for sustainable agriculture.