Abstract

Context: Wheat production in Europe is increasingly constrained by climatic stressors, particularly heat and drought, which threaten yield stability and genetic gain. To improve environmental characterization in multi-environment trials and support the development of climate-resilient cultivars, we propose a robust envirotyping framework based on a crop model and multivariate analysis. Methods: We combined 16 years of data from official Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) trials across six European countries with simulations from the SiriusQuality process-based crop model. Environmental indices were computed to quantify temperature, water, and radiation stress during critical phenological stages. We evaluated two approaches for environmental characterization. Results and conclusions: A principal component analysis of selected indices captured key climatic gradients but generated composite dimensions with limited interpretability for envirotyping applications. In contrast, a simplified method based on three physiologically grounded indices-heat stress, water deficit, and radiation balance-offered greater clarity and biological relevance. K-means clustering applied to these indices delineated discrete and interpretable envirotypes. The analysis revealed consistent low-stress conditions in Alpine regions, frequent combined heat and drought stress in eastern Austria and Hungary, and widespread water limitation in France and Germany. Significance: This framework offers a scalable, mechanistic approach to envirotyping of large multi-environment field trials and provides a characterization of the Target Population of Environments (TPE) for wheat in Europe, supporting variety evaluationand breeding strategies tailored to specific climatic conditions.