Genetic analysis of yield and yield components in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]

The present investigation was undertaken to study the genetics of yield and yield components through generation mean analysis. Dominant gene action was found predominant in inheritance of yield and yield contributing characters like number of primary branches, number of clusters, number of pods and yield per plant. Both additive and non-additive gene effects were significantly involved in the expression of number of clusters and yield per plant with duplicate epistasis. Bi-parental mating design should be used to improve these characters. Complementary epistasis observed for cross NRC 7 x EC 241780 (for days to 50% flowering, maturity, number of clusters and pods per cluster) for cross EC 241780 x Kalitur (primary branches and 100 seed weight) and for Kalitur x NRC 7 (plant height, pods per cluster and 100 seed weight) suggests that selection can be practiced in F₃ generation onwards for improvement of these characters.