Phenotypic stability in late season garden pea.

Stability parameters along with per se performance of 7 varieties/lines of mid season pea varieties were worked out for seven yield related characters in three environments under late sown conditions. Highly significant differences were observed among the genotypes for yield/plot, days to 50% flowering, pod length, pod breadth, seed number/pod, 100-green seed weight and shelling percentage. However, non significant G x E (linear) interaction for all the characters and highly significant pooled deviation for all the traits except pod breadth indicated preponderance of nonlinear component of G x E interaction. KS-225 was the best performer, stable and suitable for favourable environments under late sown conditions for green pod yield and suitable for unfavourable environments for pod length and pod breadth. DRP-3 was the earliest in flowering, stable and suitable for favourable environments. KS-226 was better performing, stable and suitable for unfavourable environments regarding pod breadth and seed number/pod. VL-3 and JP-83 were better performers, stable and suitable for unfavourable environments regarding seed number/ pod. Key words: Garden pea, Pisum sativum, G x E interaction, environment, late season, stability, pod yield environment + (genotype x environment) interactions were significant for all the characters when tested against pooled error, which satisfied the requirement of stability analysis i.e., the genotypes interacted considerably with the environments in the expression of the characters studied. Highly significant mean squares due to environment (linear) for all the characters indicated considerable differences among the environments and their predominant effects on the characters studied. This was due to variations in weather conditions during different years and locations. The linear components of genotype x environment interactions were non significant, when tested against pooled deviation for all the characters, which indicated that the genotypes responded non-linearly to the change in environment. The mean sum of squares for pooled deviation was significant/highly significant against pooled error for all the characters, which confirmed the role of unpredictable component towards the differences in stability of the genotypes. However, for unpredictable traits, prediction can still be made on considering stability parameters of individual genotypes (Singh et al., 1991). KS-225 recorded the maximum green pod yield (5.2 kg) and highly significant bi values > 1 and near zero s 2 di value which indicated its high stability and adaptation to specific favourable environments for yield (Table 3). This coroborate with the Eberhart and Russel (1966) suggestion for an ideal variety. The genotype DRP-3 took the least number of days (60.8) for flowering and recorded bi value > 1 and very low s 2 di (-0.27) value which indicated its high stability and adaptation to specific favourable environments. KS-225 recorded the maximum pod length (9.2 cm) with bi value =-1 and zero s 2 di value which suggested its high stability and adaptation under unfavourable environments. KS-226 though recorded higher pod length value (9.1 cm) than general mean (8.1 cm) but with highly significant s 2 di value indicated its instability for pod length. KS-225 and KS-226 recorded the maximum pod breadth (1.4 cm), less than unity bi value and zero s 2 di value which indicated their high stability and adaptation to unfavourable environments. KS-226