Character correlation and path coefficient in soybean Glycine max (L.) Merrill

Thirty-three soybean genotypes were evaluated for days to flowering, days to maturity, pod length, number of branches, number of unfilled, filled pods and total pods, 100 seed weight and seed yield. Grain yield (kg ha(-1)) was estimated on the basis of 12 m(2) plot size. Genetic parameters, correlation, path coefficients and linkage distances were estimated for all these traits. Analysis of variance and mean performance for yield and its components revealed significant differences among all the genotypes for all the characters. Seed weight had positive correlation with unfilled, filled and total pods. Grain yield had positive and significant correlation with all the characters except days to flowering and seed yield per 5 plant. Moreover, it had significant but negative correlation with days to maturity and also negatively correlated with un-filled pods. Days to maturity, branches, pod length, pods and 100 seed weight had positive direct effects on grain yield. High indirect effect was also exhibited via pod length by most of the traits hence these characters may be given more emphasis while selecting high yield soybean lines. Cluster diagram based on Euclidean dissimilarity. revealed three clust II 8 and Cluster III 11 genotypes. The accessions in the cluster III were of short duration and high yielding having high seed weight.