Generation Mean Analysis in Yield per Plant and Yield Components of 23 Soybean Crosses.

Abstract

Ten soybean cultivars were hybridized to obtain 23 crosses, each having 6 generations, namely P1, P2, F1, B1, B2 and F2. They were grown at Suwan Farm, Thailand in the late rainy season of 1983 to study the inheritance of yield per plant, seeds per plant and 100 seed weight. Genetic make-up of each character was digested using the method of generation mean analysis. It was found that seed yield per plant and yield components were controlled by quantitatively inherited genes. Additive gene effect was responsible for most of the heredity of seed yield per plant and yield components. Non additive gene effects, although were large in magnitude as compared to mean and additive gene action, had large standard error of estimate that hindered their significance in many crosses. Thus the plant breeder could use most selection methods being employed in self-pollinated crops to select progenies derived from the crossed, since these schemes utilize additive and interaction of additive gene action very effectiverly.