Assesment of Correlation and Path Analyses for Yield and its Componant Traits in Soybean [(Glycine max (L.) Merrill]

A study was conducted with an aim to understand character association and cause-effect relationship in Randomized Complete Block Design accommodating 30 genotypes randomly in three replicates. These genotypes evaluated for twenty-seven traits: five phenological, nine agro-morphological, eight physiological traits (from field trial) and five physiological traits (from laboratory experiment) recorded and subjected to statistical and biometrical analyses. Positive association of flowering traits (days to tubercles formation→ days to flower budding→ days to first flowering→ days to cessation) and uncorrelated with days to physiological maturity can be precisely utilized in selection. Late physiological maturity increases seedling dry weight, plant height, clusters and seeds per pod while reduces leaf area index, seed weight and dry matter efficiency. With an increase in primary branches corresponding more secondary branches, cluster/plant, seed weight and effective rainfall use efficiency noticed. Effective rainfall use efficiency positively correlated with primary branches, secondary branches, clusters/plant, germination relative index, seedling length, harvest index. Towards polygenic complex trait seed yield per plant had high positive correlation and highest positive direct effect of effective rainfall use efficiency and vigor index I considered as selection criteria.