GGE BIPLOT ELUCIDATION OF SPRING BARLEY YIELD PERFORMANCE UNDER MULTIFARIOUS CONDITIONS OF UKRAINE

The present study aims to elucidate the peculiarities of yield performance and stability of spring barley cultivars in the multi-environment trial. Thirty six spring barley cultivars widespread in production conditions of Ukraine were tested in three different natural zones in three years. The strong cross-over genotype by environment interaction was revealed not only through different natural zones, but also in individual ecological niches in different years. The cultivars with high yield and stability have been identified. The most adapted to the conditions of Forest-Steppe were the cultivars MIP Bohun, MIP Myrnyi, MIP Saliut, MIP Azart; of Polissia - Avhur, MIP Myrnyi, Mirazh, Skarb, Alehro; of Steppe - Skarb and Sviatomykhailivskyi, Alehro, Krok, Statok. The cultivars MIP Myrnyi, Skarb, Avhur, MIP Saliut, and MIP Bohun could be highlighted as genotypes with relatively wide adaptability. Thus, the combination of these cultivars in production conditions can be considered as the most optimal for all natural zones of Ukraine. Our results also contribute to the further understanding the yield performance of spring barley in the genotype by environment interaction depend on different environmental and weather conditions. The cultivars distinguished in this study have a high value in plant breeding as genetic sources for developing new spring barley strains with increased adaptive potential for conditions of Ukraine and some other East European countries.