Field Evaluation of Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merrill) Genotypes at Badeggi and Makurdi in the Southern Guinea Savannah Ecology of Nigeria

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out in 2024 cropping season at Makurdi and Badeggi to study the relationship between yield and yield related traits of soybeans genotypes. The experiments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected on the following parameters; plant height, days to 50 % flowering, days to 95 % maturity, nodulation, lodging, pod clearance, pod shattering, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number seeds per pod, 100 seeds weight and grain yield per hectare. Grain yield showed highly significant and positive correlation with plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant and 100 seeds weight. In addition, phenotypic path coefficient analysis revealed that 100 seeds weight had positive direct effect on grain yield. This suggests that selection for plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant and 100 seeds weight would lead to simultaneous improvement of grain yield in soybeans. Hence, plant breeders are to prioritize genotypes with large seed size (highest weight) as this exerts the strongest direct effects on yield and to optimize number of pods per plant, number of branches per plant and plant height to exploit their indirect contributions.