Potential of soybean crosses in early inbreeding generations for grain yield

Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the combining ability of 16 soybean genotypes using a partial diallel. Two experiments were carried out to estimate the general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability, one with 64 crosses and the other with 16 parents. At the R8 stage, F2 plants and the parents were evaluated for the following traits: number of days to flowering (NDF), number of days to maturity (NDM), plant height at maturity (PHM), and grain yield (GY). Results indicated genetic variability between the parents and between the crosses. For GY, six (37.5%) parents stood out with high yield. The GCA and SCA estimates were significant for all traits, revealing additive and non-additive effects. The parent USP 04-17.027 (4) was superior for presenting the highest means, heritability, and GCA. The cross (4x13 = USP 04-17.027 x USP 231-2224-12) stood out owing to the highest SCA for GY.