Exploring genetic diversity coupled with multiple disease resistance in soybean

Abstract

Genetic diversity was assessed among one hundred sixty-five soybean accessions for eleven significant yield attributing traits and their ability for resistance to multiple diseases under the field conditions. The experimental location is one of the hotspots for significant soybean diseases. Due to the virtual susceptibility to all or some of the diseases, more than sixty genotypes could not survive. Genetic analysis was carried out with the remaining 100 genotypes. The principal components analysis revealed that PC1, PC2, PC3 and PC4 have eigenvalues higher than the unity explained total variability of 76.59% among soybean genotypes attributable to seed yield. While screening 165 genotypes, only four genotypes, namely UPSL 152, DCB 137, JSM 232, EC 350664, were identified as high resistance to Yellow mosaic virus, Charcoal rot and Aerial blight diseases and can be used in any improvement programme attributed to higher yield and resistance to this significant soybean disease.