Genotype–Environment Interaction in Shaping the Agronomic Performance of Silage Maize Varieties Cultivated in Organic Farming Systems
Type
Journal article
Language
English
Date issued
2026
Author
Marcinkowska, Katarzyna
Kolańska, Karolina
Lenartowicz, Tomasz
Bujak, Henryk
Faculty
Wydział Rolnictwa, Ogrodnictwa i Biotechnologii
Journal
Agriculture (Switzerland)
ISSN
2077-0472
Web address
Volume
16
Number
1
Pages from-to
art. 123
Abstract (EN)
Organic production systems impose strong environmental constraints on silage maize, yet the relative contributions of genotype, environment and their interaction (G × E) to key performance traits remain insufficiently resolved. This study evaluated six maize cultivars across 11 organically managed environments (location × year combinations) in Poland, assessing weed infestation, plant height, fresh matter yield, dry matter content and dry matter yield. Genotype × environment interaction was explicitly analyzed using AMMI-based models, and cultivar adaptability and stability were evaluated using complementary indices. Environmental effects consistently dominated all traits, explaining 78–91% of total variation, while G × E interactions, though smaller, were significant and altered cultivar rankings. Weed infestation ranged widely across environments, from below 10% to over 90%, and was almost entirely environment-driven. Yield-related traits followed a strong precipitation gradient, with Pawłowice and Śrem showing the highest biomass potential. SM Perseus produced the greatest dry matter yields (13.53 t·ha−1), whereas SM Mieszko combined high dry matter content (37.73%) with outstanding stability. Mega-environment analysis identified distinct adaptive niches, confirming that no genotype performed consistently best across all conditions. These findings close a key knowledge gap regarding cultivar performance under organic management and demonstrate the necessity of multi-environment evaluation that integrates performance, stability and adaptability analyses to support site-specific cultivar recommendations that enhance biomass productivity and silage quality in ecologically managed maize systems.
License
CC-BY - Attribution
Open access date
January 3, 2026