Path coefficient analysis in soybean in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

-A one year study was made on variability of some morphological characters in 35 soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill genotypes which included cultivars of tropical, subtropical and temperate adaptation.

Seed yield was studied in relation to seven other morphological characters .

The F-test indicated that seven out of the eight traits were significantly different.

Four tropical cultivars, viz.

Jupiter, ISRAflRAT 24n2, PR13 (114) and PR 142(3), as well as one subtropical cultivar, viz, ICAL-132, gave the highest seed yield.

All traits, except for harvest index, were positively and significantly correlated with seed yield and with one another.

Path coefficient analysis emph asized that weight of pods plant" , number of branches plant- l and plant height were, successively, the most important seed yield contributing traits.

The direct role of shoot dry weight was moderate, but negative, while that of the number of pod s plant:" was very low and negative : whereas the role of harvest index was very low and positive .