Stability analysis of farmer participatory trials for conservation agriculture using mixed models

► Alternative resource conserving technologies were compared with the currents farmers practice of rice and wheat for grain yield on farmer's field in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia. ► The data generated from these farmers' participatory trials were highly unbalanced. ► Assessing the relative performances of technologies over a range of environments, stability analysis for grain yield was carried out using SAS mixed model procedures. ► Stability models were compared allowing for (i) heterogeneity of error variances and (ii) heterogeneity of variances between environments for farmers-within-environment effects. ► Based on best fitting model, Reduced-till (non-puddled) transplanted rice (RT-TPR) and reduced-till/zero-till drill-seeded wheat were found best in terms of grain yield and stability.