SELECTION CRITERIA FOR SEED LONGEVITY IN SOYA BEAN [GLYCINE-MAX (L.) MERR.]

Six seed characteristics, in a diverse sample of 23 soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes types, were subjected to correlation and mu ltiple regression analysis. Seed longevity was to be significantly and positively correlated (r = 0.68) with hull percentage [100 x (seed co at weight/seed weight)] whereas it was significantly but negatively co rrelated with seed weight, seed volume, and seed coat weight. Path-ana lysis revealed that the seed coat weight had the maximum direct effect towards seed longevity followed by hull percentage. Through stepwise regression analyses, a subset consisting of hull percentage and seed w eight was selected for prediction of seed longevity. Hull percentage e merged as the most important determinant of seed longevity in soya bea n and could serve as a selection criterion in breeding programmes.