Early generation selection for yield and its related traits in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill.]

The relative efficiency of different selection criteria in early generation (F₂) was evaluated in two crosses of soybean. The selection criteria used were (i) selection of plants in F₂ generation having high and low mean values for different characters, (ii) randomly selected plants and (iii) selection of plants based on an index involving highest mean values for the different characters. The selection group patterns of F₃ selected F₄ progeny revealed that (a) plants selected for single character identified more number of F₄ progenies than on the basis of an index and randomly selected plants in both the crosses, (b) plants selected for their high mean values further screened more number of F₄ progenies than having low means, and (c) selection of plants in F₂ generation based on number of pods per plant proved most efficient selection criteria for seed yield improvement.