Gute-19 potential candidate soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Variety with pedigree of PM 12-3 was evaluated against the check and other genotypes for seed yield, agronomic characters and disease reaction at Bako, Billo Boshe and Gute experimental sites from 2016/2017 to 2017/2018. Gute-19 variety was verified for possible release in 2019 at on farm and on station across all areas listed above. The pipeline variety PM 12-3 showed 22.3% oil content, and seed yield of 2779.1 kg ha-1, respectively. It was resistant to bacterial blight and bacterial pustule. The result of multi-environment yield trials showed that PM 12-3 outperformed the standard check (PRAC-3) by 20.1 % in seed yield and comparable in oil content. The variety was evaluated by the national variety releasing committee. It was resistant to bacterial blight and bacterial pustule. The stability analysis showed that the variety stable in grain yield performance than the check variety PARC-3. The national variety release standing committee made their annual meeting and recommends genotype PM-12-3 (Gute-19) for possible release based on its field yield performance and farmers preferences.

Over many years, there are a few early soybean varieties developed and released through intensive breeding and genetics research program in Ethiopia. However, whether these varieties are stable, adaptable to the environments of Western Ethiopia and similar agro-ecologies are not clear. The objective of this study was to identify high yielding and stable early maturity soybean varieties across environment and examines the influence of genotype by environment interaction on grain yield of soybean varieties in western Oromia. Seven early soybean varieties were evaluated at five locations (Bako, Gute, Billo, Chewaka and Uke) for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). Combined analysis of variance showed that grain yield was significantly (P< 0.01) affected by environments, genotypes and GE interactions; accounting for 51.1, 35.9 and 12.2% variations, respectively. The first two principal components (IPCA1 and IPCA2) were used to create a two-dimensional GGE biplot and explained 84.49 and 9.1% of the total sums of squares of GE interaction, respectively. According to the average environment coordination (AEC) views of the GGE-biplot, soybean variety Nyala was identified as the most stable and high yielding genotype. In addition, Boshe and Coker-204 also showed better stability performance among the high yielding varieties whereas variety Nova was identified as the least stable and low yielding variety. Therefore, among early soybean varieties, Boshe, Nyala and Coker-204 were recommended for further production in most soybean growing areas of western Oromia.