Genotype–Environment Interaction in Shaping the Agronomic Performance of Silage Maize Varieties Cultivated in Organic Farming Systems

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.

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Publication Details

Journal
Agriculture
Published
2026-01-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16010123
Primary Topic
Weed Control and Herbicide Applications
Type
article
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article

Genotype–Environment Interaction in Shaping the Agronomic Performance of Silage Maize Varieties Cultivated in Organic Farming Systems

Piotr Mirosław Szulc, Katarzyna Marcinkowska, Tomasz Lenartowicz, Agnieszka Łącka et al.
Agriculture
Weed Control and Herbicide Applications
article

Genotype–Environment Interaction in Shaping the Agronomic Performance of Silage Maize Varieties Cultivated in Organic Farming Systems

Piotr Mirosław Szulc, Katarzyna Marcinkowska, Tomasz Lenartowicz, Agnieszka Łącka, Konrad Banaś, Karolina Kolańska, Henryk Bujak
article en

Abstract

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.

AgricultureVol. 16(1)
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (PL), Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa w Sulechowie (PL), Institute of Plant Protection (PL), University of Life Sciences in Poznań (PL)
Openalex Percentile: Top 97%
Weed Control and Herbicide Applications
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