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<article>
<title><b>Studies on heritability and character relationship in soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L. Merrill) genotypes grown in two contrasting environments</b></title>
<authors>I.T. Lawal, C.O. Alake, J.B. Porbeni, P.M.Olorunmaiye,  O.A. Oyetunde, D.J. Ogunniyan</authors>
<keywords>Soybean, yield, character association, path analysis, selection</keywords>
<pages>8-13</pages>
<issue_number>9 (1) 2025</issue_number>
<issue_period>January, 2025 </issue_period>
<abstract>Twenty soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merrill) genotypes were grown using randomized complete block design at two distinct agro climatic environments (rainforest and Sudan savannah, Nigeria) to determine the inter-character association with seed yield and their direct and indirect contribution to total seed yield in soybean genotypes. Heritability, correlation and path coefficient analyses were carried out. The phenotypic coefficient of variability (PCV) was observed to be higher than the genotypic coefficient of variability (GCV) for the twelve traits. Seed yield had a significant and positive phenotypic and genotypic correlation with 100 seed weight, number of seed per plant, number of seeds per pod and number of pods per plant. Number of seeds per pod had the largest positive direct effect to seed yield while number of seeds per plant had a negative direct effect on seed yield in spite of its significant positive genotypic correlation with yield. This study states that selection based on inter character relationship alone is not sufficient, hence, simultaneous selection of traits for soybean improvement programme is recommended.</abstract>
</article>
