title: Yield stability of hybrids versus lines in wheat, barley, and triticale.
abstract: We present experimental data for wheat, barley, and triticale suggesting that hybrids manifest on average higher yield stability than inbred lines. Yield stability is assumed to be higher for hybrids than for inbred lines, but experimental data proving this hypothesis is scarce for autogamous cereals. We used multi-location grain yield trials and compared the yield stability of hybrids versus lines for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack). Our study comprised three phenotypic data sets of 1,749 wheat, 96 barley, and 130 triticale genotypes, which were evaluated for grain yield in up to five contrasting locations. Yield stability of the group of hybrids was compared with that of the group of inbred lines estimating the stability variance. For all three crops we observed a significantly (P < 0.05) higher yield stability of hybrids compared to lines. The enhanced yield stability of hybrids as compared to lines represents a major step forward, facilitating coping with the increasing abiotic stress expected from the predicted climate change.
authors.affiliation: State Plant Breeding Institute, University of Hohenheim, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mühleisen
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Piepho
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: Carl Friedrich Horst
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Longin
authors.forename: Jochen Christoph
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reif
mesh_terms: D002523:Edible Grain / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001467:Hordeum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D014908:Triticum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology