To determine the relationships between yield and its components, and to find the direct and indirect effects of yield-related traits on soybean yield, 240 genotypes were grown in the Research Station, College of Agriculture, Karaj, Iran, in 1997-98 using an augmented design. The study of correlation analysis showed that number of seeds per plant and seed yield per plant had the highest significant correlation coefficient (r=0.92). Other significant correlation coefficients were found between biomass per plant and yield (r=0.86) and between number of pods per plant and yield (r=0.67). Results of stepwise regression analysis revealed that number of seeds per plant, seed weight, and number of seeds per pod were the three major traits affecting seed yield in soybean. However, path analysis showed that only two of the three above-mentioned traits, namely, number of seeds per plant and seed weight, are quite important for soybean selection programs. Stepwise regression analysis was used again, omitting number of seeds per plant, which showed that number of pods per plant, seed weight, plant height and number of days to 90% maturity, are important contributors to yield. Path analysis, this time, revealed that the correlation effects to plant height and number of days to 90% maturity on yield is due to the indirect effects exerted through other traits. It is concluded that three traits, namely, number of seeds per plant, seed weight and number of pods per plant have notable effects on soybean seed yield.

Keywords: Soybean, Path analysis, Correlation coefficient, Yield components.

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