Qualitative characterization of diverse germplasm of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill)

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted with 294 genotypes along with 4 checks viz., JS 20-34, JS 95-60, NRC 86 and NRC 37 at N.E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, during Kharif, 2016 and 2017. The experimental material was planted in an augmented design-II with 6 blocks, each consisting of 49 test entries and 4 checks planted randomly and in which only checks were repeated in each block. The objectives of the present study were characterization of genotypes based on qualitative characters. A total of 11 qualitative characters were taken up for the present study. The result revealed that morphological characters contributed toward genotype divergence in soybean. The results obtained from the present study indicated a possibility of pubescence colour and pod colour showing linked inheritance and the characters flower colour and hypocotyl colour also showing linked inheritance. It was also found that characters pod colour and hilum colour contributed more toward divergence than the other qualitative characters including the present study.