Genotype‐By‐Environment Interaction and Yield Stability of Kabuli Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in Northern Ethiopia

ABSTRACTChickpea is a self‐pollinated, diploid, and annual plant (2x = 2n = 16). After peas and beans, it is the most important legume in the world. Reduced chickpea production and productivity have been significantly influenced by the lack of improved and adaptable genotypes, poor management practices, biotic factors such as disease and pests, and abiotic factors including fluctuating rainfall and temperature. New chickpea genotypes introduced in Northern Ethiopia lack adaptability, stability, and performance evaluation, resulting in crop losses for farmers due to their susceptibility to the new and variable environment. To address these challenges, recently released high‐yielding genotypes, alongside a standard check, were evaluated for adaptability, performance, and yield stability over 2 years (2022/2023 and 2023/2024) in three districts (Shebel, Awabel, and, Jabitenan) of Northern Ethiopia across six multienvironment field trials each employing a randomized complete block design with three replications. SAS 9.4 and R software were used, showing significant differences in crop phenological stages, growth, and yield parameters across years and locations for test traits. Genotype, location, and year interactions significantly influenced all Kabuli chickpea genotypes. The highest combined mean grain yield was obtained from genotype “Arerti” (2.42 t ha−1) followed by “Yelbie” (2.18 t ha−1), which explained their best performance among the tested genotypes. Analysis of variance revealed significant interactions and differences between genotypes and environments, with 15.6% of the variation in grain yield attributed to environmental factors, 6.4% to genotype differences, and 11.4% to genotype‐by‐environment interactions. The Genotype and Genotype × Environment biplot and Additive Main Effect and Multiplicative Interaction analysis identified stable genotypes, representative environments, and interesting genotype–environment interactions. Genotypes Arerti, Chefe, and Yelbie were identified as stable based on Genotype and Genotype × Environment biplot and Additive Main Effect and Multiplicative Interaction analysis. Environments Shebel and Jabitenan were identified as representative among all environments considered.