Genetic Variability and Correlation Studies for Pre-harvest Sprouting Tolerance and Associated Traits in Soybean [Glycine max L. Merrill.]

Abstract

Evaluation of a set of 65 diverse genotypes of soybean was carried out for their pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) tolerance in a field study during kharif 2019. Percentage of pods ruptured by sprouting seed (PPR) was used as a measure of pre-harvest sprouting tolerance. It ranged from 0-5.8% among the genotypes. High estimates of genotypic (GCV) and phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) were recorded for the percentage of pods ruptured by sprouting seed (PPR) indicating the presence of wider variability over which selection can be effective. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent mean was recorded for number of pods ruptured by sprouting seed per plant and PPR. The phenotypic character association revealed a significant negative correlation of PPR with pod wall thickness, number of pods per plant, and number of clusters per plant. Path coefficient analysis revealed number of pods per plant, plant height, and pod wall thickness have a negative influence on pre-harvest sprouting.