Ancestral analysis of soybean varieties: An overview

Abstract

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merril] is the third most important oilseed crop after groundnut and rapeseed mustard in India. Narrow genetic base of the soybean varieties released in India is one of the most important cause of the low average national yields. To study the genetic base of the soybean varieties of India, the pedigree information of 66 released and notified soybean varieties of India from 1968-2000 was obtained from the Soybean Varieties of India [1] and from variety release/notification proposals and notification details published by Government of India from time to time. The formal soybean breeding in India started only after the initiation of All India Coordinated Research Project on Soybean (AICRPS) in 1968 by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), can be conveniently looked at in 3 different phases i.e. 1968-1980, 1981-1990 and 1991-2000 (Table 1).