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In Bangladesh, sweet potato holds the fourth position as a crucial carbohydrate source, trailing rice, wheat, and potato. However, locally grown sweet potato varieties often display limited stability and yield. To tackle this challenge, diverse selection methods and statistical models were utilized to pinpoint sweet potato genotypes showcasing both stability and superior yield and quality traits. In the initial two years, multiple selection methods were employed to narrow down the collections based on preferences for yield and its contributing traits. Subsequently, a multi-environment trial (MET) was conducted in the following year to pinpoint superior and stable genotypes with desirable yield and quality characteristics. An integrated approach involving the Multi-Trait Genotype Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI), Factor Analysis and Ideotype-Design (FAI-BLUP), and Smith-Hazel Index (SH) led to the identification of 71 superior sweet potato genotypes out of a total of 351 in the initial growing season. In the subsequent season, the MGIDI selection index was applied to the 71 genotypes, resulting in the selection of 11 top-performing genotypes. This selection process was complemented by a detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the selected genotypes. In the MET, the mixed effect model, specifically the linear mixed model (LMM), identified significant genotypic and genotype-environment interaction (GEI) variances. This points to elevated heritability and selection accuracy, ultimately boosting the model's reliability. By combining the strengths of LMM and additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) index identified H20 as the top-performing genotype for marketable root yield (MRY), H37 for dry weight of root (DW), H8 for beta carotene (BC) and H41 for vitamin c (VC). These genotypes surpassed the overall average in the WAAS index. For simultaneous stability and high performance, the WAASBY index selected H37 for MRY, H6 for DW, H61 for BC, and H3 for VC. Finally, genotypes H3 and H20 were selected using multi-trait stability index (MTSI), as they possessed high performance and stability. Based on the selection sense, the objective has been achieved with regards to the trait MRW, which serves as a major criterion for a superior variety of sweet potato.

A study was carried out in five sweet potato growing regions of Bangladesh, each characterized by suitable agro-ecologies, in order to demonstrate the most favorable varietal performance and trait correlations. A completely randomized block design with three replications was used to compare the varietal performance of BARI (Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute) released sweet potato varieties (viz. BARI Mistialu-9, BARI Mistialu-10, BARI Mistialu-12, BARI Mistialu-15 and BARI Mistialu-17). During the 2021-22 cropping season, sweet potato varieties were tested in five districts of Bangladesh, namely Gazipur, Bogura, Jamalpur, Jashore, and Chattogram. The findings revealed that the BARI Mistialu-12 variety exhibited remarkable attributes, including a high marketable storage root yield of 39.88 t/ha. Additionally, it demonstrated exceptional performance in various yield components such as vine length, average storage root weight, and dry weight of the root. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between several traits and yield, as well as yield-attributing characteristics. This correlation suggests that enhancing these traits could potentially contribute to an overall increase in the storage root yield of sweet potatoes.

The dataset focuses on evaluating the performance of 17 sweet potato varieties (G) released by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in terms of storage root yield and stability across five locations (E) in Bangladesh—Gazipur, Bogura, Jamalpur, Jashore, and Chattogram. The result revealed that BARI Mistialu-12 exhibited the highest average storage root yield at 45.35 t/ha, closely followed by BARI Mistialu-16 at 44.64 t/ha. Conversely, BARI Mistialu-1 had the lowest mean yield of 25.99 t/ha. Among the locations, Bogura recorded the highest mean root yield at 37.05 t/ha, while Chattogram exhibited the lowest at 31.27 t/ha. A combined analysis of variance revealed the presence of variability in storage root yield attributed to the genotype-location (environment) interaction (GEI). To delve deeper into this interaction, additive and multiplicative interaction effect models (AMMI) along with a linear mixed model (LMM) were employed for further investigations to confirm the significant contribution of GEI variance to root yield. The LMM results showed genetic variance (%), heritability (%), selection accuracy (%), and GEI correlation coefficients of 52.27, 54, 94, and 30, respectively. The AMMI analysis indicated that the first two principal components accounted for 74.60 % of GEI, with 20.16 % attributed to it. Assessing significant Interaction Principal Component Analyses (IPCAs) through the Weighted Average of Absolute Scores (WAAS) indicated that BARI Mistialu-12 is the most stable genotype, followed by BARI Mistialu-16 and BARI Mistialu-8, all displaying above-average root yield. The mega-environment analysis associated the highest root production of BARI Mistialu-11 and BARI Mistialu-2 with the Jamalpur location, while Gazipur, Bogura, and Jashore were linked with the superior performance of BARI Mistialu-12 and BARI Mistialu-16 genotypes. These findings are crucial for future breeding programs and the rapidly growing sweet potato industry, given the stable high-yield potential across diverse agro-ecological conditions. However, it is imperative to repeat the study to ensure reliable outcomes.