Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill), a leguminous crop of East Asian origin, is globally cultivated for its protein and oil-rich seeds. Understanding yield-related traits is vital for improving productivity and ensuring food security. This study assessed the variability, heritability, and genetic control of yield and its component traits in five soybean accessions. The accessions were evaluated using a randomized complete block design with three replications, and data on ten quantitative traits were analyzed statistically. Results revealed that the number of pods per plant (81.78%, 98.80%), seed yield per plant (76.14%, 87.83%), and 100-seed weight (69.73%, 63.45%) exhibited high heritability and high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean (GAM), indicating additive gene effects and strong potential for selection. Plant height correlated positively with the number of leaves (r= 0.83), branches (r= 0.79), pods per plant (r= 0.66), and seed yield (r= 0.69) suggesting that taller plants with greater foliage and branching potential tend to produce more pods and higher seed yield, making plant height a valuable indirect selection criterion for yield improvement. Traits showing high variability and favorable associations can therefore serve as key selection indices for enhancing soybean yield in breeding programs.
