Adaptabilidade e estabilidade de comportamento de cultivares de feijao em quatro muninípios da zona da Mata de Minas Gerais

The following common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars and lines were included in this study: 'Ouro Negro 1992', 'RAB-94', 'CNF 5547', 'Ouro', 'Manteigao Fosco 11', 'Carioca', Linhagem 2177, 'WAF-7', 'Negrito 897', 'Milionário 1732', Linhagem 2172 e 'Rico 1735'. They were included in 20 yield trials carried out in Viçosa (eight trials), Coimbra (four), Ponte Nova (four), and Leopoldina (four). The trials were conducted at the three planting times: "rainy season" (two trials), "dry season" (four), and fall-winter (14). Fertility level of the trials was variable, in order to create variable environments for the bean crop. Diseases were controlled, since they were not considered as true environment components, because they present physiologic races, whose geographic distribution is unknown. Using yield data, adaptability and stability of performance of the cultivars and lines were measured according to the method of EBERHART and RUSSELL (7). It was concluded that: (1) 'RAB 94', 'Ouro Negro 1992', 'CNF 5547' and 'Ouro' were the most productive entries; they presented a high response to enviromnent improvement, but showed no stability of performance; (2) 'Carioca', Linhagem 2177, 'WAF-7', and 'Manteigao Fosco 11' were the less productive entries, with low response to environment improvement, but 'Carioca' and Linhagem 2177 showed stability of performance; (3) the other entries reached an intermediary position in relation to yield and response to environment improvement, and only 'Milionário 1732' exhibited stability of performance.