Comparative performance of Soybean(Glycine max(L.) Merrill) varities

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in the Instructional Farm attached to the College, of Hortuculture, Vellanikkara, during the period from June 1980 to January 1981 to select soybean varieties suitable for the agroclimatic conditions of Kerala. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with 14 varieties and three replications. The study revealed that there was no significant varietal difference in the expression of all growth characters and most of the yield contributing factors at any of the growth stages in both the seasons. But significant varietal differences in seed yield and stover yield were observed in the two seasons. The results of the experiment revealed that the varieties Bragg, JN 2750 and EC 26691 are most promising for the south west monsoon season of Kerala. The variety Monetta gave the highest protein content of 36 per cent and Bragg, Ankur and Improved Pelican respectively recorded the highest protein yield, oil content and oil yield in the south west monsoon season. The study further revealed that soybean cannot be successfully grown during north east monsoon season of Kerala without irrigation.