Interrelationship among several stability statistics estimated in maize yield trials

Short-term yield trials are the methods for selection of high yielding cultivars that conducted over a range of environments. In multi years and/or multi locational trials, GE interaction may be ignored and selection may have been done just based on mean yield. Different stability analysis methods have been introduced for determination of stable genotypes. The objectives of this study are to determine rank-correlation coefficients among several stability statistics in order to compare their efficiency in studying GE interaction in short-term trials. Three sets of maize hybrids were evaluated in the short-tern yield trials. Set 1 (T1) included 7 early-maturing hybrids grown in 6 environments, set 2 (T2) included 9 very early-maturing hybrids grown in 6 environments, and set 3 (T3) included 14 late and medium-maturing hybrids grown in 5 environments. The rank-correlation coefficients among bi' CVi and S2xi were high and significant. The rank-correlation coefficient between Wi and ?i2 was 1 in all of the sets which according to other researchers' results, use one of them preferably ?i2, is recommended. Also high rank-correlation coefficients were found among ?i2, S2di and Si2 High and consistent rank-correlation coefficients between YSi and RSM with mean grain yield indicated that the use of simultaneous selection criteria result the selection of stable and high yielding hybrids.