Evaluation of narrow leaflet genotypes and genetic variability in segregating generation of soybean (Glycine max (L) Merrill)

Field experiments were conducted during kharif 2006 at Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences,Dharwad to evaluate the performance of narrow leaflet genotypes for yield and its component traits and to analyze the extent ofvariability in F3 segregating generation of cross JS-93-05 x JS-335 of soybean. In the experiment I, among the four narrow leafletgenotypes evaluated, Acc. No.18A (DSb-12) recorded highest seed yield and exhibited significant superiority with respect totraits viz., pod length, days to maturity, number of seeds per plant and harvest index compared to best check JS-335. The analysisof variance and other genetic parameters indicated considerable genetic variability for different characters among the genotypes.In the experiment II, the population was classified based on leaflet shape viz., oval, ovate, lanceolate and linear leaflets. it wasobserved that considerable range of variation exhibited by all the four leaflet types. The characters viz., plant height, days toflowering, days to maturity, specific leaf weight, number of pods per plant, harvest index and 100 seed weight showed verynarrow differences between phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation in all the four leaflet types. High heritabilitycoupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for traits viz., number of pods per plant, specific leaf weightin oval, ovate and lanceolate leaflet types.