Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) known as queen of oil seed crops is mainly grown for its oil of local consumption, sources of income and great contribution for the national economy of Ethiopia. However, there is a low productivity and production due to environments, genotypes, interaction and management variation. Four sesame genotypes were evaluated for their interactions with environments and seed yield stability analysis at three environments during the 2015 main cropping season. The objectives of the study were to estimate the magnitude and nature of GEI and to identify stable and/or high yielding white seeded sesame genotypes in Abergelle Agricultural Research Center mandate areas, Northern Ethiopia. The study was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications at each environment. The combined analysis of variance revealed highly significant (P≤0.01) environment (E), genotype (G) and genotype × environment interaction (GEI). Environment explained 79.84% of the total (G + E +GE) variation, whereas G and GE explained 17.21 and 2.95% of the total variation, respectively. The magnitude of the environment was 4.6 times greater than the genotype, implying that most of the variation in seed yield was due to the environment. The significant genotype by environment interaction effects were further partitioned into two significant interaction principal components using the genotype main effect plus genotype x environment interaction (GGE) biplots model. The first two principal components for seed yield stability of the GGE biplot analysis explained 96.81% of the total variation caused by G+GE of PC1 and PC2 accounted for 90.88 and 5.93% sum of squares, respectively, while 3.19% was attributed to noise. Thus, model diagnosis (fitting) showed that the first two PCs were significant and can be taken to interpret this data. The which-won-where biplot identified one winning genotype in one mega environment. The winning genotype across locations was Humera-1. Thus, the GGE (genotype and genotype by environment interaction) biplot analysis indicated that Humera-1 was considered as the most desirable and stable one’s, therefore, can be recommended for wider cultivation due to better seed yield and stability performance across the test environments in the dry lowland areas of Southeast and Central zones of Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia.

 

Key words: Dry lowland, GEI, GGE biplot, mega environment, S. Indicum L.