Character Association Studies Based on Morphological, Biochemical and Seed Quality Parameters for Identification of Good Storer Genotypes in Six Crosses of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merill.]

The present study was taken up to analyze seed longevity as a function of traits such as germination percentage, seed index, wrinkled seed percentage, cracked seed percentage, smooth and shiny seed percentage, catalase and superoxide dismutase content so that an effective selection regime can be formulated for this trait. Low seed longevity is a major concern in most soybean varieties which leads to low production of the crop. Inadequate supply of quality seed is a bottleneck in the expansion of soybean cultivation. Seed viability starts declining right after physiological maturity, forcing farmers to increase the seed rate which further leads to shortage of quality seed and a hike in cultivation cost. This study was conducted to analyze the variability in seed quality traits correlated with seed longevity in six soybean crosses viz. DT-21 × PS-24, PS-1347 × PS- 124, DT-21 × BHATT, AGS-25 × JS-335, PS-1556× EC-389148 and PS-1592× PS-1241. Germination percentage in methanol stress test had significant positive correlation with shoot length, root length, catalase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, smooth and shiny seed percentage and seed viability index. It was found negatively correlated with seed index, wrinkled seed percentage and cracked seed percentage. According to these results, methanol stress test, seed index, cracked and wrinkled seed percentage can be evaluated for selecting good storer genotypes. Selection for smaller seed size, less wrinkled and cracked seed percentage can lead to a concomitant selection for good storer genotypes in the segregating generations of crosses. This study thus established how germination tests, biochemical tests and morphological characters can be used to indirectly select for seed longevity. Biochemical analysis can be further applied to confirm the performance of the selected good storers.