Classification of chickpea growing environments to control genotype by environment interaction

Abstract

Cluster analysis was used as a tool to classify chickpea growing environments. Data on time to flowering (days) and seed yield (kg ha-1) for two chickpea international yield trials developed by ICARDA and ICRISAT, and conducted by cooperating scientists during 1985–86 and 1986–87 were used for this study. The GENSTAT hierarchical, agglomerative clustering programme was employed with correlation coefficient as the distance measure and single linkage as the clustering strategy. Results revealed that by characterization of locations, the genotype x location interaction within a cluster/zone was minimized. From the classification, it appears that selection for performance at Tel Hadya-the main research station at ICARDA in Syria—should be relevant to much of Syria, the drier areas of Algeria and parts of the Iberian Peninsula. In absence of sufficient data and high degree of season-to-season variability in weather patterns it was not possible to indicate other key sites which could provide an opportunity for selection of materials for specific adaptation in a group of environments or a zone.