EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF MAIZE VARIETIES FOR FAMILIAR FARMING SYSTEMS, PANAMA 2017-2019

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the adaptability and stability of high-quality protein maize (QPM) yellow maize varieties, planted across thirty locations in Panama. They were planted in collaborating farmers’ fields and in the IDIAP Experimental Station of El Ejido during three years (2017-2019). The first year, 12 varieties were evaluated, then they were reduced to 10, and finally, in 2019, the six best varieties were evaluated. It was used The Alpha Lattice experimental design with three repetitions, which varied through years. A combined analysis of variance type REML was calculated to the data and the means were separated using the Minimum Significant Difference. The analysis of variance per year and combined through years showed highly significant differences between the varieties evaluated for grain yield and other agronomic traits. The analysis showed that, by reducing the number of varieties, the variance between genotypes decreased, while the variance between environments increased. In the second year of the study, the QPM variety S16LTYQHGAB05 was selected as the best among these genotypes. After three years, the control IDIAP-MV-1102 had a yield of 5,49 t·ha^-1, and it was surpassed by more than 15% by the synthetic S10TLYNGSHGAB01 with a yield of 6,39 t·ha^-1. The Biplot GGE-SReg analysis identified the latter as the most stable across locations. The analysis of the reliability of the normalized response indicated that in eight out of ten locations the S10TLYNGSHGAB01 outperformed the national control genotype. Registration of the two varieties is recommended for farmers’ use in the Republic of Panama.