Effects of using phenotypic means and genotypic values in GGE biplot analyses on genotype by environment studies on tropical maize (Zea mays).

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the type and intensity of nutritional stress, and of the statistical treatment of the data, on the genotype x environment (G x E) interaction for tropical maize (Zea mays). For this purpose, 39 hybrid combinations were evaluated under low- and high-nitrogen and -phosphorus availability. The plants were harvested at the V6 stage, and the shoot dry mass was estimated. The variance components and genetic values were assessed using the restricted maximum likelihood/best linear unbiased prediction method, and subsequently analyzed using the GGE biplot method. We observed differences in the performances of the hybrids depending on both the type and intensity of nutritional stress. The results of relationship between environments depended on whether genotypic values or phenotypic means were used. The selection of tropical maize genotypes against nutritional stress should be performed for each nutrient availability level within each type of nutritional stress. The use of phenotypic means for this purpose provides greater reliability than do genotypic values for the analysis of the G x E interaction using GGE biplot.