Integrating machine learning and the GGE biplot for identification of climate-suitable grasspea genotypes

Grasspea is a nutrient-rich food legume crop known for its resilience in the challenging agro-ecosystems. However, information is scanty regarding the recommendation of grasspea genotypes with respect to their suitability for both general and specific adaptations. The primary goal of the study was to delineate stable grasspea genotypes by nullifying the influence of intricate interactions among multiple traits with the environment. Additionally, the study aimed to identify suitable locations within diverse agro-climatic zones in India for future evaluation while also validating and predicting results using machine learning algorithms. From several hundred genotypes developed and tested in station trials at Amlaha, India, a panel of 64 diverse promising grasspea genotypes was identified, and their performance was subsequently assessed through multilocation testing at four diverse locations in India during 2021-2022 using the GGE biplot approach. Mean selection index of each genotype was enumerated considering multi-trait performance for better elucidation of genotype and environment ranking as well as selection of the mega-environment. The findings revealed that the environment was the primary contributor to variation across all studied traits, followed by genotype × environment interactions as the second most influential factor. Genotypes such as FLRP-B54-1-S2, Prateek, 31-GP-F3-S7, 31-GP-F3-S4, FLRP-B38-S5, 48-GP-F3-S3, and BANG-288-S2 were identified as good performers with promising multi-trait performance. Experimental results were validated using multiple performance metrics, with the Random Forest (RF) model of machine learning demonstrating superior predictive accuracy compared to the multilayer perceptron (MLP) model. Regression coefficient (<i>R</i> ²) values ranged between 0.558 and 0.947, depending on the output variables. In conclusion, "Prateek," "31-GP-F3-S7," and "48-GP-F3-S3" emerged as the most stable genotypes when considering their combined yield-trait performance. These genotypes can be recommended for widespread commercial cultivation in regions where grasspea cultivation faces challenges of weather extremities.