Performance Evaluation and Stability Study of Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Genotypes for Potential Production Areas in the Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

Field pea is an important crop for Ethiopian farmers, but its national average yield of 1.7 t ha⁻¹ is much lower than its potential, primarily due to the low yield of local cultivars and their vulnerability to various stresses. This study aimed to identify high-yielding, stable genotypes with disease resistance and other desirable traits. Fifteen genotypes, including two standard checks (Bursa and Jeldu), were evaluated across ten environments during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons using a randomized complete block (RCB) design with four replications. Significant differences (P≤0.01) were found for genotype, environment, and their interaction for most traits. The best-performing genotype, G7 (EH014011-4), showed an 8% to 17% increase in seed weight and a 19% to 35% yield advantage over the standard checks. The second-best genotype, G14 (EH014007-1), exhibited a 10% increase in seed weight and an 11% to 28% yield advantage. Both genotypes were stable across environments, as shown by the genotype-by-environment (GGE) biplot analysis. Based on these results, G7 and G14 were recommended for further variety verification and evaluation, alongside the standard checks, for potential release as high-yielding, stable varieties in Ethiopia. The variety EH014011-4 outperformed all tested genotypes, including standard checks, in yield, stability, and showed moderate resistance to Ascochyta blight and powdery mildew. Farmers also favored this variety for its overall performance and market suitability. As a result, field pea variety EH014011-4 was approved for national release in 2024 for use in the tested areas and similar agro-ecological zones.