Climate variability and associated droughts are major environmental factors limiting crop productivity worldwide. Identification and better understanding of factors influencing genotype × environment (GE) interaction in drought-prone environments will allow breeders and producers to improve crop productivity. The objectives of this study were to identify genotypic and climatic factors responsible for GE interactions in durum wheat yield trials under highland cold and moderate cold rainfed areas of Iran. Field experiments were carried out using 20 durum wheat genotypes, differing in growth habit, in three highland rainfed research stations for three cropping seasons (2015–2018). Environments were characterized by climatic co-variables measured during the three seasons. Genotypes were described by co-variables related to phenology, agronomy and disease resistance. Possible factors influencing GE interaction were examined by factorial regression (FR), partial least squares (PLS) regression and the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) models. The results indicated that both AMMI IPCA1 and IPCA2 scores had positive and negative values, resulting in crossover GE interaction and leading to inconsistent yield performance of genotypes across environments. The AMMI, PLS and FR identified similar genotypic and climatic variables that explained a large proportion of the GE interaction for grain yield. Based on the results, the climatic variables of average temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, minimum and maximum temperature, and genotypic variables of heading date, plant height and 1000-kernel weight were among the most important factors responsible for differential genotype adaptation. The PLS biplot showed that the genotypic responses to environmental covariates depended strongly on the growth habit type. This information can contribute toward the identification and biological understanding of adaptive characteristics relevant for durum wheat breeding in highland cold rainfed conditions of Iran and facilitate cultivar recommendation at eco-regional level. In conclusion, the AMMI, PLS and FR complement each other and the PLS biplot offered further interpretations of the GE interaction including differential genotype adaptation.

中文翻译：

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雨养硬粒小麦基因型×环境相互作用的生物学解释

气候变化和相关干旱是限制全球作物生产力的主要环境因素。识别和更好地了解影响易旱环境中基因型与环境 (GE) 相互作用的因素将使育种者和生产者能够提高作物生产力。本研究的目的是确定在伊朗高原寒冷和中等寒冷雨育地区硬粒小麦产量试验中导致 GE 相互作用的基因型和气候因素。使用 20 种不同生长习性的硬粒小麦基因型在三个高地雨育研究站进行了田间试验，为期三个作物季节（2015-2018）。环境的特点是在三个季节测量的气候协变量。基因型由与物候相关的共变量描述，农学和抗病性。影响 GE 相互作用的可能因素通过因子回归 (FR)、偏最小二乘法 (PLS) 回归以及加性主效应和乘性相互作用 (AMMI) 模型进行了检查。结果表明，AMMI IPCA1 和 IPCA2 评分均具有正值和负值，导致交叉 GE 相互作用并导致跨环境的基因型产量表现不一致。AMMI、PLS 和 FR 确定了相似的基因型和气候变量，这些变量解释了谷物产量的大部分 GE 相互作用。根据结果​​，平均温度、降雨量、相对湿度、最低和最高温度等气候变量，以及抽穗日期的基因型变量，株高和千粒重是导致差异基因型适应的最重要因素之一。PLS 双标图显示对环境协变量的基因型反应强烈依赖于生长习性类型。该信息有助于识别和生物学理解与伊朗高原寒冷雨育条件下硬粒小麦育种相关的适应性特征，并促进生态区域层面的品种推荐。总之，AMMI、PLS 和 FR 相互补充，PLS 双标图提供了对 GE 相互作用的进一步解释，包括差异基因型适应。该信息有助于识别和生物学理解与伊朗高原寒冷雨育条件下硬粒小麦育种相关的适应性特征，并促进生态区域层面的品种推荐。总之，AMMI、PLS 和 FR 相互补充，PLS 双标图提供了对 GE 相互作用的进一步解释，包括差异基因型适应。该信息有助于识别和生物学理解与伊朗高原寒冷雨育条件下硬粒小麦育种相关的适应性特征，并促进生态区域层面的品种推荐。总之，AMMI、PLS 和 FR 相互补充，PLS 双标图提供了对 GE 相互作用的进一步解释，包括差异基因型适应。