Variation for hilum colour and its stability during four crop seasons in soybean (Glycine max)

A study was conducted during. 1996-99, at New Delhi to observe the variatio n for hilum colour in 31 cultivars of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in f our subsequent crop seasons. Out of these 26 belonged to nucleus class and 5 to breeder class. Except 'JS 80-21', 'Pusa 40', 'PK 327' and other cultiv ars with imperfect black hila, the percentage of variant hila was very low. However, the variation ranged from 0 to 50.6%. Cultivars with staunch blac k and blown (light-brown to dark-chocolate brown) colour hila showed stabil ity in four seasons. Only imperfect black colour hila (also called as grey colour) showed instability of colour whenever present alone or in combinati on with light hila colours (creamish-buff or light-brown) masking partly th e original hila colour. Appearance of few buff colour hila seeds in imperfe ct black hila cultivar was observed in subsequent generations of multiplica tion in some cultivars. Other distinguished variant problem in soybean be d ecided by considering three pubescence colour) along with hilum colour in v arietal identification.