Variability of soybean [Glycine max (L.)] yields

Abstract

The estimation of genotypic and environmental effects on crop yields, allows to interpret its variability and to make future projections. Based on evaluation trials of soybean cultivars, the yield of 11 cultivars in 3 location during 11 years was analyzed. The year x location interaction caused 70 % of total variability and would be resulting, for the most part, from the variability in summer rainfalls. The contribution of the genotype x environment interaction was only 5 % and was almost fully explained by the interaction cultivar x year x location. Taking into account these results, the most suitable resources combination in arder to evaluate soybean cultivars would result of conducting experiments with 3 replications, during a maximum of 3 years and in about 3 locations.