Crop Variety Trials

Variety trials are an essential step in crop breeding and production. These trials are a significant investment in time and resources and inform numerous decisions from cultivar development to end-use.  Crop Variety Trials: Methods and Analysis is a practical volume that provides valuable theoretical foundations as well as a guide to step-by-step implementation of effective trial methods and analysis in determining the best varieties and cultivars. Crop Variety Trials is divided into two sections. The first section provides the reader with a sound theoretical framework of variety evaluation and trial analysis. Chapters provide insights into the theories of quantitative genetics and principles of analyzing data. The second section of the book gives the reader with a practical step-by-step guide to accurately analyzing crop variety trial data. Combined these sections provide the reader with fuller understanding of the nature of variety trials, their objectives, and user-friendly database and statistical tools that will enable them to produce accurate analysis of data.

Preface vi Chapter 1 Theoretical Framework for Crop Variety Trials 1 Chapter 2 An Overview of Variety Trial Data and Analyses 23 Chapter 3 Introduction to Biplot Analysis 31 Chapter 4 Data Centering for Biplot Analysis 51 Chapter 5 Data Scaling and Weighting for GGE Biplot Analysis 75 Chapter 6 Frequently Asked Questions About Biplot Analysis 91 Chapter 7 Single-Trial Data Analysis 107 Chapter 8 Genotype-by-Location Two-Way Data Analysis 133 Chapter 9 Genotype-by-Trait Data Analysis and Decision-Making 163 Chapter 10 Trait Association-by-Environment Two-Way Table Analysis 187 Chapter 11 Location-by-Trait Two-Way Data Analysis 199 Chapter 12 Mega-environment Analysis Based on Multiyear Data 207 Chapter 13 Test Location Evaluation Based on Multiyear Data 231 Chapter 14 Genotype Evaluation Based on Multiyear Data 255 Chapter 15 Building and Utilizing a Relational Database for Crop Variety Trial Data 279 Chapter 16 Experimental Design for Variety Trials and Breeding Nurseries 295 Chapter 17 Modules and Functions in GGEbiplot 315 Chapter 18 Conclusions 341 References 345 Index 349