Agro-morphological characterization and genetic variability assessment of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm for yield and quality traits

The assessment of genetic variability is indispensable for the development of high-yielding and nutritionally enriched soybean varieties. In this study, fifty-nine soybean genotypes (56 test entries and three standard checks) from different origins were characterized for eight qualitative and 20 quantitative traits. The experiment was laid out in a complete augmented block design for two consecutive seasons under natural rainfed conditions. Results revealed that among qualitative traits, flower colour was found to be most dynamic morphological marker trait for genotypic distribution. Mean square variances for twenty agro-morphological, seed yield and quality traits showed significant differences among tested genotypes for almost all studies traits. Non-hierarchical clustering classified entire set of germplasm into five groups, with the recognition of cluster IV for selection potential. Correlation analysis indicated that seed yield of soybean was positively associated with all yielding components, while a highly negative association was observed between seed quality traits such as protein content (