Managerial use of factor analysis for identifying stability of yield parameters and morphological characters in barley trials

This paper aims to demonstrate the usefulness of factor analysis for managing barley trials. It shows whether the relationship between barley yield parameters and morphological characters were affected by genotype and environment. The objectives of this study were to determine whether or not the interrelationship between barley yield parameters (total plant yield, grain yield, straw yield and thousand grain weight), and the morphological characters (vegetative duration, plant height, length of growing season and leafiness) was stable in each hybrid (hybrid 1, hybrid 2 and hybrid 3) and each of two areas in Syria by using factor analysis. The study also aimed to ascertain whether the relationship between yield parameters and morphological characters was affected by genotype environment interaction. There were three hybrids in each of the two Syrian areas: Tel Hadya and Breda. Each hybrid had 102 families. Correlation and factor analysis indicated that the interrelationship for yield parameters, except TGW, was stable, while the interrelationship between morphological characters was not stable. Factor analysis was applied to barley breeding data to determine the relationships between yield parameters and morphological characters. The r results demonstrate that this relationship was stable in Tal Hadya, but not stable in Breda. The genotype and the environment influenced the relationship between yield parameters and morphological characters. Consequently, the relationship between yield parameters and morphological characters will not be suitable for forecasting yield.