Variability, heritability and genetic advance of some quantitative characters over the seasons in soybean

Abstract

Genetic variability parameters like genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) plienotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), heritability (h) and genetic advance as per cent of mean (GAM) were studied using the 196 soybean germplasm lines for six plant growth, four yield attributing and ten pod characters in three seasons. Genetic variability parameters for plant growth characters indicate high GCV for degree of indeterminate growth habit. plant height and branches per plant. Estimates of GCV were moderate for days to flower initiation, days to flower termination, whereas low for days to maturity. Heritability and genetic advance as percentage of mean were high for all the plant growth characters (except moderate GAM for days to maturity). With regard to seed yield and yield attributing characters, high estimates of variability parameters were observed in all the three seasons. GCV was high for some of the pod characters viz. individual pod weight, seed to pod shell ratio and pod shattering. but was moderate for seeds per pod, moisture content of pods at physiological maturity, pod length, pod thickness and pod shattering, whereas moderate for seeds per pod, moisture content of pods at physiological maturity, seed to pod shell ratio, pod width and P.T:PW. The pod characters vic. individual pod weight, seed to pod shell ratio, pod thickness, PT.PL and pod shattering expressed high GAM. whereas seeds per pod, moisture content of pods at physiological maturity, pod length, pod width: expressed moderate GAM.