Stability for disease, genotype x environment interaction for yield and its components in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]

The material for study of genotype x environment (G x E) interaction comprised of 23 genotypes, which were tested in four environments, during kharif-2012 and 2013 at two locations in Agricultural Research Station, Kalaburagi and Raddevadgi located in north eastern dry zone (Zone 2) of Karnataka. The experiment was laid out in lattice design with two replications. Highly significant differences among genotypes were observed for all the characters except number of pods per plant and yield per plant. Environmental +(Genotype x Environment) interaction was significant for days to 50 per cent flowering, day to maturity, plant height, pod bearing length, number of pods per plant and seed yield per plant. The variance due to pooled deviation was highly significant for all the characters which reflect the presence of sufficient genetic variability in the material. Stability parameters for seed yield per plant indicated that ASHA(ch) was stable and desirable, followed by RVK-275 and GRG-811 which were specifically adopted for favourable and poor environments respectively. Two years of field screening for Fusarium wilt (FW) and Sterility Mosaic Disease (SMD) yielded three genotypes viz., GRG-811, GRG-2009 and ASHA for resistance to Fusarium wilt and moderate resistance to SMD. Hence, these genotypes can be used directly as a variety or choice of parent for hybridization programme.