Genotype environment interaction and stabiigy analysis of linseed in centeral and Southeastern Ethiopia.

Twelve Linseed (Linum unsitatissimum L.) genotypes were evaluated in reandomized complete blockdesing with three replications during 2007 at eight locations to determine the patterns of GIE of yield and yield realted traits and identify the most stable linseed variety/ies for wide and narrow adaptations, to investigate correlation of yield, with yield related traits.ANOVA of individual locations revealed significant differences between genotypes at all locations for days to flowering; at 7 locations for days to maturity, harvest index and 1000-seed weight; at 6 locations for plant height; at 5 locations for seed yield, oil content and oil yield and at 4 locations for biological yield.Combined ANOVA indicated significant variation among locations for all traits and among genotypes for days to flowering, days to maturity, seed yield, harvest index,1000-seed weight, oil content, oil yield, biological yield, seeds per capsule wilt, pasmo and powery mildew.Meraro was the most suitable environment for both seed and oil yield and gave the highest mean seed yield (2270 kg/ha) and oil yield (854 kg/ha).The highest mean seed yield (1722 kg/ha)and oil yield (641 kg/ha) were obtained from CI-1525.Maximum mean oil content of 38.5% was obtained at Arsi-Robe, while the least at Holeta (35.8%). The highest oil content was obtained from CI-1525 x Omega/14Y (38.3%. The result showed that brown seeded genotypes produced better seed and oil yields, while yellow seeded genotypes produced better oil content.GEI was significant for days to flowering,days to maturity, seed yield, harvest index, oil yield, 1000-seed weight, biological yield, wilt, psmo and powdery mildew, indicating the differential response of genotypes across locations land the importance of stabiligy analysis. Environment has taken the major share of total sums of squares of seed and oil yields and the contribution of GEI was higher than that of genotypes,implying the sinificant influence of environment in the evaluation of linseed genotypes.The four stability parameters used in this study selected berene, Chilallo x Omega/ 13Y, Belay-96 and Tole as stable genotypes for both their seed and oil yields above the grand mean.The best yielder CI-1525 was also selected as stable variety by two of the stability parameters.Therefore, Beren, Tole and CI-1525 can be used for wider cultivation.GGE biplot identified CI-1525 x Omega/14Y and Chilallo x PGRCE10306/4Y as specifically adapted to Asasa and Kulumsa, respectively while Chilallo x Omega/4B and Kulumsa-1 to Bekoji, Holeta and Kofale.The result indicated that stability was independent of yield levels.Biomass per plant, capsules per plant, oil content, 1000-seed weight,branches per plant, tillers per plant and seeds per capsule had positive association with seed yield per plant.In addition days to maturity, plant height HI, biomass, tillers per plant and 1000-seed weight had positive association with seed and oil yield (kg/ha) which had strong correlation themselves.Oil content had significant positive correlation only with seed yield per plant,indicating the possibiligy of improving both seed yield and oil content simultaneously.