Path Analysis of Yield Components in Soybean

Studies on phenotypic and genotypic correlations and path coefficient analysis were conducted in a collection of thirty-six varieties of soybean of diverse origin. Seed yield exhibited positive association with period of flowering and high positive association with number of leaves, total leaf area, plant height, number of nodes and number of pods. The three characters, viz., days to first flowering, days to maturity and 100-seed weight had no significant correlation with seed yield. Path coefficient analysis indicated that 100-seed weight and number of pods had very high positive direct effect on seed yield but 100-seed weight had high negative indirect effect on seed yield via all other variables except period of ffowering. All the characters under study, save 100-seed weight had sufficiently high positive indirect effect on seed yield via number of pods. Total leaf area and plant height had moderate direct effect on seed yield but had high indirect effect on seed yield via number of pods. Thus the results indicated that total leaf area and plant height along with the direct yield attribute number of pods may be recommended as reliable selection indices.