Assessment of AMMI model for delineating the stability indices of high yielding variety of Java Citronella (Jor Lab C-5) evaluated in different location of NE India

AbstractAn industrially important plant, Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt ex Bor commonly known as Java Citronella belonging to Poaceae family gains its significance due to the presence of aromatic constituents and its capacity to yield a high quantity of essential oil. However, due to varied agronomic and climatic conditions, fluctuations in the chemical constituents and essential oil yield can be noticed. However, till now studies on stability analysis of Citronella are very scarce. Focusing the crop's exceptional oil-yielding capacity and its high importance in industrial purposes extensive commercial cultivation of superior variety of Citronella is need of the hour. Hence, a study was conducted to establish a stable genotype of Java citronella where Jor Lab C-5 was taken to test the stability along with two check genotypes (Jor lab C-2 and Assam local). For two years (2021-2022 and 2022-2023) six agronomical traits were constantly studied with two sets of environmental factors for the eight different locations in a randomized block design. The Analysis of variance (ANOVA) by regression method revealed herbage recovery rate and essential oil yield as extensively high for Jor Lab C-5 as compared to the other two genotypes. Further, AMMI (Additive Main-effects and Multiplicative Interactions) ANOVA was used for the confirmation of uniform performance of various characters where Jor Lab C-5 was found to be stable in case of plant height, herbage yield, essential oil yield, citronellal content, and total essential oil yield. The GC-MS analysis of essential oil revealed 19 compounds with area percent 94.28% of which citronellal (42.52%) outcomes as major constituent. Additionally, environment such as Runne, Khehoyi, Yaongyimsen, and Jorhat were considered as the best suited locations for Jor Lab C-5, thus highlighting its multi-location stability and its potential industrial significance in the long run.Keywords: Essential oilGC-MSStabilityHigh herbage yieldAMMICymbopogon winterianus