EVALUATION OF YIELD AND AGRONOMIC TRAITS OF NEW WINTER BREAD WHEAT CULTIVARS

Yield and quality attributes of 13 bread wheat cultivars registered for Thrace region in 2018 and 5 standard bread wheat cultivars were determined and compared in this study. Tested cultivars are originated from Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Austria and Ukraine. Experiments were conducted in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 growing seasons. Since the locations were not equally distributed to growing seasons, statistical analyses for yield and other parameters were performed through assuming each location as an environment. Therefore, assessments were made over 7 environments. Environment (E) explained 54.9% of the total variation (E+G+GEI), genotype (G) and genotype x environment interaction (GEI) generated 25.6% and 19.5%, respectively. GGE (Genotype + Genotype by environment interaction) biplot analysis was able to explain 78.51% of variation in grain yield. Trial environments gathered under 3 mega-environments. Of the cultivars registered in 2018, Adali, Bc Anica, Topkapi, FDL Miranda, Otilia, ZT Ziyade, Viktoria and Dragana had values larger than the average and thus they had the largest PC1 (Principal component 1) scores. Tested cultivars were also assessed based on vector lengths to average environment coordinate (AEC). Adali cultivar with a high PC1 score and the closest position to AEC apsis was found to be quite prominent for grain yield. In environment-focused assessments, E3, E4 and E5 had the closest position to ideal environment circle. With regard to physical quality attributes, Pehlivan, Bojana and Adali cultivars had high performance values. The cultivar Bojana, Topkapi and Iveta had protein contents above 15%. For Zeleny sedimentation values, Krasunia odes'ka had the best performance.