Phenotypic stability in buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) in the dry temperate region of north-western Himalayas

Abstract

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is an important pseudo-cereal of high hills in dry temperate zone of the Himalayas and is cultivated mostly after harvesting peas (Pisum sativum L.). Relative performance of this crop varies over the years by the influence of environment. Very little efforts have been made so far to exploit the existing variability of the crop for genetic improvement of yield and to isolate the stable genotypes for better performance over the years. Therefore, there is an urgent need to examine and evaluate the stability of genotypes for seed yield and yield attributing traits among land races and other cultivated strains as well for achieving sustainable production of yield for a longer period. Hence an experiment was carried out on stability analysis among 14 genotypes of buckwheat for identifying stable and high yielding genotypes suitable for dry temperate regions of high hills in north-western Himalayas.