GENOTYPE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION AND STABILITY ANALYSIS FOR BUNCH YIELD IN THE OIL PALM (ELAEIS-GUINEENSIS JACQ)

Twenty oil palm crosses were evaluated at two locations for stability of performance with respect to total bunch weight, mean bunch weight and bunch number. There were significant genotype and environmental effect for the three traits measured, with higher yields being obtained in the more Southern location. Genotype x environment interactions were also significant. For the three traits, there were significant and positive correlations between the cross means and regression coefficients of the observed values on environmental indexes. However, associations between these means and mean square deviations from regressions (s2d) were non-significant. Five of the crosses were considered stable when the three traits were taken simultaneously.