The objective of this research was to identify soybean genotypes with good adaptability and stability of behavior for resistance to powdery mildew in field conditions. The work was carried out at the Professor Diogo Alves de Mello Experimental Station, Agronomy Department of the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, Minas Gerais. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design, in split-plots, with 15 genotypes (plots) and seven evaluation times (subplots), with four repetitions. Evaluation of incidence and severity of powdery mildew in the genotypes were accomplished by visual quantification of fungus infection level (IL), assessing the level of infection of the leaf area infected (NIAFI) by the powdery mildew and the level of infection of the most infected leaflet (NIFI). Data were examined by analysis of variance and analysis of adaptability and stability according to EBERHART & RUSSELL (1966). The results allowed to get to the following conclusions: the genotypes that showed the highest resistance levels, were, in general, also the ones of higher adaptability and stability, both for NIAFI and NIFI, standing out UFV 89-361826 T2, UFV 94-334268, UFV-16 and UFV-19, FT-10 RC5 (F3), FT-Abyara RC6 (F2), Doko RC, FT-Abyara RC5 (F4), whereas the most susceptible genotypes were the ones of worse predictability, standing out UFV 94-5126, FT-104, UFV 94-3500, FT-Cristalina, FT-Estrela and BR-16.
diseases of soybean; genotype x environment interaction; genetic improvement
