Traits for soybean selection in a breeding nursery depending on duration of the vegetative period

We formed groups of soybean cultivars with different combinations of traits in 2013 with a purpose to reveal a trait(s) (seed weight per a plot, harvest index or their combination) for samples selection which can be more effectively used for estimation in the breeding nursery depending on the maturity group. We established after three year research that selection can be conducted only using an only trait (seed weight or harvest index), excluding the second one. A selection direction must be chosen in each maturity group according revealed correlations between duration of the vegetative period and yield in a competitive trial. When there is a positive correlation, the lines with a high seed weight are preferable in the breeding nursery, when negative one - the highest harvest index is should be selected.