Abstract

A multilocational trial study on soybean was conducted during 2016-17 at BTC College of Agriculture and Research Station, Chhattisgarh, India to evaluate fifteen variable genotypes for 16 yield and quality characters for interrelationship. Days to 50% flowering had a positive association with days to maturity, 100 seed weight and unfilled pods. Plant population had a positive correlation with pod bearing length and seed yield. Plant height had a positive correlation with pod bearing length, seeds per pod, whereas highly negative correlation with 100 seed weight. Branches per plant had positive association with seed yield. Pod bearing nodes was highly significant and positive associations with filled pods, pod length and non significant positive association with seed yield. Filled pods had significant association with unfilled pods, and highly significant association with pod length. Pod bearing length had a highly significant positive correlation with qualitative feature volume weight. Biological yield had a significant positive association with seed yield, Path analysis revealed that seed yield is directly affected by days to 50% flowering, 100 seed weight, through a low magnitude of direct effect, while plant height, pod bearing length, and harvest index contributes through a moderate magnitude of direct effect on seed yield. Filled pods and biological yield contribute to seed yield by the highest magnitude of direct effect. The negligible value of residual factor value (0.0000) justified that characters considered in the study was justified for seed yield. Findings indicate that direct selection of significant characters will enhance the breeding efficiency for seed yield in soybean.