DIFFERENT STABILITY METHODS FOR CULTIVAR RECOMMENDATION IN ELEPHANT-GRASS FOR ENERGY PURPOSES IN BRAZIL

ABSTRACT The elephant-grass undergoes successive cutting and periodical evaluations that it possible to identify clones with high stability for dry matter production, which can be used for energy production. The present study was carried out to evaluate stability dry matter yield for different parametric and non-parametric methods in elephant grass genotypes for biomass production undergoes successive cutting in the agroclimatic conditions of the Norte Fluminense (RJ, Brazil). The variable measured in the 40 genotypes was dry matter yield (DMY) at 2009, 2010 and 2011 in a field study designed as randomized block design with two replicates. Each sample was grown in different environment condition. The stability methods tested were the Yates and Cochran’s, Plaisted and Peterson’s, Wricke’s ecovalence, Annicchiarico’s, Lin and Binns’ and Kang and Phan’s. Results indicated that cutting (E) and genotypes (G) influenced significantly on the performance of dry matter yield. The non-parametric stability methods were effective for the evaluation of stability in dry matter yield. Genotypes Mercker, Pinda-México, Mercker 86-México, Guaçu/IZ, Mercker Pinda, P-241-Piracicaba and Cubano Pinda were stable stability dry matter yield. Hence, there are genotypes may be exploited in future breeding programmes in order to improve productivity of upland elephant grass over environment.