Yield performance and stability analysis of three cultivars of Gayo Arabica coffee across six different environments

Abstract

The three cultivars of Gayo Arabica coffee (GAC) are distributed widely in the Gayo Highlands, Aceh Province, Indonesia, between 900 and 1,700 m above sea level (masl). The difference in altitude affects the yield and quality of coffee, and Arabica coffee has biennial bearing characteristics, so there are always annual yield fluctuations. This study aimed to determine the yield performance and stability level of the three GAC cultivars, Gayo 1, Gayo 2, and Gayo 3 (G3), across six different environments. The study used a randomized complete block design with three replications. The six environmental conditions are the combinations of two altitudes (900 and 1,500 masl) and 3 years of production (2019, 2020, and 2021). The estimation of coffee yields is based on the fruit value, which is calculated by the number of productive branches per tree, nodes per branch, berries per node, and the weight of a single cherry. An investigation of the genotype-by-environmental interaction using a combined analysis of variance and the yield performance and stability analysis performed using the Eberhart and Russell method, AMMI (additive main effects and multiplicative interaction) and GGE (genotype + genotype × environment) biplot analysis. Results showed that the yield performance of GAC was significantly affected by the interaction between genotype and environment. G3 was an ideal cultivar because it had high yield performance, was stable, and could adapt to broader environments in Gayo Highland. Therefore, G3 deserves high priority for Arabica coffee development in that region.