Genotype-environment interactions in fodder kale (Brassica oleracea L.)

Abstract

SUMMARYTwo potential new kale cultivars were compared with five control cultivars in 12 trials involving five sites in the north of England and the south of Scotland, 2 years, and a range of sowing and harvest dates.The differences between cultivars were small for dry-matter and digestible organic-matter yield. Genotype-environment interactions were relatively large by comparison and hence only tentative estimates could be made of relative yield performance in a wider range of environments. However, the set of trials was satisfactory for determining the heights, dry-matter contents and digestible organic-matter contents of the cultivars despite the presence of statistically significant genotype-environment interactions.Joint regression analyses revealed that the two cultivars with the lowest mean freshweight yields were also the least responsive to environmental change and that environments resulting in low digestible organic-matter contents were best for discriminating between cultivars.