Characterization and Performance Evaluation of Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merr.) Accessionsforagronomic Traits in Assosa Zone, Northwestern Ethiopia

A field experiment was conducted during 2023/24 cropping season at Dabus testing site of Asossa zone to characterize and evaluate soybean genotypes for useful traits. Twenty soybean accessions obtained from three geographic areas of Assosa and laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Qualitative traits dominated were erect type, rounded leaf shape, white flower colour, yellow green testacolour, dense down hair colour, presence of hair and pubescence, dark leaf colour, large sized seed, medium green pod colour and spherical flattened seed shape. Results depicted the presence of sufficient variability among the genotypes for agronomic traits. Higher phenotypic and genotypic variance was observed for grain yield while relatively medium phenotypic variance for days to flowering and maturity, plant height and pods per plant. Branches per plant, pods per plant, seeds per pod and grain yield had higher PCV while a trait plant height exhibited moderate PCV. Genotypic coefficient variance was high for pods per plant and grain yield whereas plant height and seeds per pod showed moderate GCV. Days to flowering and maturity, plant height, pods per plant and seeds per pod had high heritability whereas relatively moderate H ² was recorded for HSW and grain yield. Plant height, pods per plant, seeds per pod and grain yield exhibited high GA. Significant genetic variability in mean performance of all the traits under studied material indicated that genotypes have considerable amount of genetic variation that could be used for further breeding program in variety development.