Improving the grain yield, biomass production, and forage nutritive values of guar [ <i>Cyamopsis tetragonoloba</i> (L.) Taub.] using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction and AMMI stability values

Abstract Breeding high yielding forages with good nutritive values is difficult in semiarid and arid locations of the world. The goal of this study was to identify guar [ Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] breeding lines with potential use as forages for the US southern Great Plains using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis and AMMI stability values (ASV). Twenty six breeding lines and four commercial cultivars were evaluated at two locations during 2 years. Although no genotype had an ASV of 1 (best) for grain yield, biomass production, and the seven forage nutritive value traits, three genotypes had lower ASV than or equal to the commercial controls when averaged across all traits. Among many individual traits, several genotypes performed better than the commercial cultivars. For example, breeding line 25 had good ASV for biomass and seed yield production, whereas breeding line 8 had good acid detergent fiber, relative forage quality, and total digestible nutrients. The results of this study showed that the guar breeding lines have adequate adaptability, variability, and stability to create future high yielding guar varieties with good forage nutritive values.