Mapping quantitative trait loci through the use of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in populations of unrelated individuals provides a valuable approach for dissecting the genetic basis of complex traits in soybean (Glycine max). The haplotype-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) has now been proposed as a complementary approach to intensify benefits from LD, which enable to assess the genetic determinants of agronomic traits. In this study a GWAS was undertaken to identify genomic regions that control 100-seed weight (SW), plant height (PH) and seed yield (SY) in a soybean association mapping panel using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and haplotype information. The soybean cultivars (N = 169) were field-evaluated across four locations of southern Brazil. The genome-wide haplotype association analysis (941 haplotypes) identified eleven, seventeen and fifty-nine SNP-based haplotypes significantly associated with SY, SW and PH, respectively. Although most marker-trait associations were environment and trait specific, stable haplotype associations were identified for SY and SW across environments (i.e., haplotypes Gm12_Hap12). The haplotype block 42 on Chr19 (Gm19_Hap42) was confirmed to be associated with PH in two environments. These findings enable us to refine the breeding strategy for tropical soybean, which confirm that haplotype-based GWAS can provide new insights on the genetic determinants that are not captured by the single-marker approach.

U nderstanding and quantifying photoperiod × temperature interactions often directly aff ects soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] breeders and producers when selecting varieties, determining dates of planting, predicting dates of fl owering and maturity, and predicting fi nal yields (Zhang et al., 2001). Eff ect of the photoperiod response on area of adaptation is more pronounced in the soybean than in any other major crop. As soybean is classifi ed as a short-day plant, sensitivity to photoperiod is a hindering factor in increasing its adaptation range. When soybeans are cultivated under short-day conditions, in out-of-season plantings or in low latitude, those plants with the classic response to photoperiod fl ower early and result in short plants and low grain yields (Carpentieri-Pípolo et al., 2000). The length of the growing season for photoperiodic sensitive crops such as soybean is defi ned by complex interactions between temperature and photoperiod (Raper and Kramer, 1987). ABSTRACTMaturity classifi cation is an important concept to provide the best allocation of resources for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] research and commercialization. A similar maturity group system used in North America is being used for some seed companies in Brazil and needs research to improve its use. This study evaluated the maturity stability of 48 midwestern and 40 southern Brazilian commercial cultivars ranging from North American maturity groups VI to VIII at 15 locations. Relative maturity groups were attributed to all cultivars. All trials were planted in the fi rst half of November. The effect of location was very important in infl uencing the number of days to maturity, number of days to fl owering and reproductive growth period (RGP). The genotype × environment interaction, although statistically signifi cant, was much lower than the individual effects of environment and genotype for all traits and regions. Genotype × latitude and genotype × altitude, considering also years of evaluation, were generally low or nonsignifi cant. A recommended list was developed of the most stable genotypes and, consequently, of the most suitable check genotypes for each maturity group classifi cation in the southern and midwestern regions. Results indicate that the use in Brazil of a maturity group system similar to that used in North America to classify soybean genotypes is an effi cient method for describing relative maturity on a broad environmental basis.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a variabilidade genética de cultivares de soja com marcadores microssatélites selecionados e caracterizados quanto à informatividade para uso em gel de agarose. O DNA de 23 cultivares de soja foi amplificado com 283 marcadores microssatélites em gel de agarose a 3%. Posteriormente, 53 marcadores que apresentaram polimorfismo facilmente detectável nos géis de agarose foram utilizados na caracterização de 53 cultivares. Nessas cultivares foram detectados 124 alelos, com média de 2,34 alelos por loco, e os valores de conteúdo de informação polimórfica variaram entre 0,16 e 0,66, com média de 0,47. As frequências alélicas variaram de 0,02 a 0,91, com média de 0,43. A distância genética calculada variou de 0,02 a 0,73, com média de 0,47. A menor distância observada foi entre as cultivares CD201 e CD208, e a maior distância entre CD210 e BRSMT Uirapuru. Os marcadores utilizados possibilitaram a identificação das 53 cultivares avaliadas. Os locos microssatélites de soja, avaliados em gel de agarose, apresentam elevada informatividade. É possível detectar variabilidade significativa no germoplasma brasileiro de soja avaliado, mesmo entre cultivares elite, quando se usa marcadores moleculares microssatélites selecionados por sua informatividade.Termos para indexação: caracterização de cultivar, conteúdo de informação polimórfica, diversidade genética, frequência alélica, marcador SSR. Genetic variability of soybean cultivars obtained through microsatellite markers in agarose gelAbstract -The objective of this work was to evaluate the genetic variability of soybean cultivars with microsatellite markers selected and characterized for their informativity to be used in agarose gel system. The DNA of 23 soybean cultivars was amplified with 283 microsatellite markers, using a 3% agarose gel systems. The 53 markers with clearly detectable polymorphism in the agarose gels were used to characterize 53 cultivars. In these 53 cultivars, 124 alleles were detected, with an average of 2.34 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content values varied between 0.16 and 0.66, with an average of 0.47. Allele frequencies were of 0.02 to 0.91, with an average of 0.43. Genetic distance was of 0.02 to 0.73, with an average value of 0.47. The shortest distance was between cultivars CD201 and CD208, and the largest between CD210 and BRSMT Uirapuru. The markers used permitted the identification of all bean 53 cultivars. The soybean microssatellite loci evaluated in agarose gel presented high informativity. It is possible to detect significant variability in the Brazilian soybean germplasm evaluated, even among elite cultivars, when microssatellite molecular markers, selected for their informativity, are used.Index terms: cultivar characterization, polymorphic information content, genetic diversity, allelic frequency, SSR marker. IntroduçãoO conhecimento da diversidade genética e a relação entre cultivares melhoradas são de grande importância para o melhoramento das culturas. A diversidade genétic...

Resumo -Este trabalho teve o objetivo de avaliar o fluxo gênico em soja, na Região Oeste do Paraná. Foram semeados cinco círculos concêntricos, com a cultivar CD 219RR, que contém o gene CP4 EPSPS. Os círculos foram espaçados em 50 cm, com círculo interno de diâmetro de 50 cm. Externamente a estes, foi semeada a cultivar CD 211 (convencional), também em cinco círculos concêntricos, espaçados em 1 m. As plantas da cultivar CD 211 foram colhidas e trilhadas individualmente, e as sementes semeadas novamente no campo. Após a emergência, foram obtidas 151.772 plântulas, as quais, com 15 dias, foram pulverizadas com 900 g ha Termos para indexação: Glycine max, organismo geneticamente modificado, taxa de fecundação cruzada, escape gênico. Soybean gene flow in the Western Region of ParanáAbstract -The objective of this work was to evaluate soybean gene flow in the Western Region of Paraná. Five concentric circles were sowed with the CD 219RR cultivar, which contains the CP4 EPSPS gene. The circles were spaced in 50 cm and the central circle had 50 cm in diameter. Externally to the CD 219RR circles, five concentric circles were sowed with CD 211 cultivar, a no genetically modified soybean, spaced of 1 m. The CD 211 plants were harvested and threshed separately and the seeds were sowed again. After the emergency, 151,772 seedlings were obtained, which with 15 days were sprayed with 900 g ha -1 a.i. of glyphosate. After one week, the surviving plants were analysed by PCR to verify the CP4 EPSPS gene presence. The cross-pollinating rate was 0.61, 0.29, 0.23, 0.22 and 0.23% in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 m distance of the genetically modified plants, respectively.

Knowledge of the genetic architecture of flowering and maturity is needed to develop effective breeding strat egies in tropical soybean. The aim of this study was to identify haplotypes across multiple environments that contribute to flowering time and maturity, with the purpose of selecting desired alleles, but maintaining a min imal impact on yield related traits. For this purpose, a genome wide association study (GWAS) was under taken to identify genomic regions that control days to flowering (DTF) and maturity (DTM) using a soybean association mapping panel genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Complementarily, yield related traits were also assessed to discuss the implications for breeding strategies. To detect either stable or specific associations, the soybean cultivars (N = 141) were field-evaluated across eight tropical environ ments of Brazil. Seventy-two and forty associations were significant at the genome-wide level relating respec tively to DTM and DTF, in two or more environments. Haplotype-based GWAS identified three haplotypes (Gm12_Hap12; Gm19_Hap42 and Gm20_Hap32) significantly co-associated with DTF, DTM and yield-related traits in single and multiple environments. These results indicate that these genomic regions may contain genes that have pleiotropic effects on time to flowering, maturity and yield-related traits, which are tightly linked with multiple other genes with high rates of linkage disequilibrium.

ABSTRACT. The type of stem growth in soybean is a distinguishing feature of cultivars. The genes Dt1 and Dt2 affect the termination of the stem, and the types of growth are classified as determinate, semideterminate and indeterminate. Phenotypic characterization of the type of growth is complex and is occasionally erroneously described. The objective of this study was to map and validate molecular markers to classify the type of soybean growth to facilitate the description of cultivars and genotypic selection. Two populations were used for mapping and validation of molecular markers F 2:3 : T 117 (semi-determinate growth type) x Igra RA 518 RR (indeterminate growth type) and CD 235RR (determinate growth type) x Igra RA 518 RR. The study demonstrates that the association of the molecular marker with the gene GmTFL1b was efficient in the classification of soybean growth types. The marker sat_064 is connected to the Dt2 gene, which is located in the Liaison Group G of the consensus map of soybeans with a recombination frequency of 19.4%. Molecular markers for Dt1 and Dt2 genes efficiently described the genotypes of soybean stem growth and selection.

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Postal 776, 90001-970, Porto Alegre -rs, Pesquisador do CNPq. Autores para correspondência. 3 Engenheiro Agrônomo, MSc., COODETEC, PR. RESUMO O presente trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de analisar diferentes ambientes para a identificação de genótípos portadores de genes redutores da estatura de planta em trigo, através da reação de sensibilidade ao ácido giberélico (AG). O experimento foi instalado no ano de 1995 em casa de vegetação (CV) e laboratório (LA) na Faculdade de Agronomia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul -FA/UFRGS, Porto Alegre e a campo (CA), em Eldorado do Sul, RS. Foram avaliados 6 genótípos de diferentes estaturas de planta em O e IDOppm de AG em CV e LA e O , 100 e lOOOppm de AG aplicados quando as plantas apresentavam duas e quatro folhas em CA. A determinação da estatura foi realizada aos 20 dias após a aplicação do tratamento em CV, 18 dias em LA e em quatro avaliações semanais em CA. A separação dos genótípos de acordo com a sensibilidade ao AG foi possível nos três ambientes, sem que a ordem de resposta fosse alterada. A diferença de estatura entre os tratamentos foi utilizada para a comparação entre ambientes e as maiores diferenças de estatura foram observadas em CV e CA. A interação genótipo x ambiente não foi significativa revelando a possibilidade de realização do teste em campo. Para todos os tratamentos aplicados foi possível identificar os genótípos sensíveis ao AG a partir dos 7 dias, através da determinação da estatura e peta identificação visual das plantas. Palavras-chave: Tritícum aestivum, sensibilidade ao ácido giberélico, estatura, Rht, e Rht;. SUMMARYThis experiment was conducted to analyse different environments in lhe indentification of dv/arf genes m wheat througth lhe giberellic acid (GA) sensitivity reaction. The tests were conducted in 1995, in a greenhouse (GH), laboratory (LA) andfield (Ff) in Porto Alegre and Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil. Six genotypes with different heigth were evatualed in GH and LA by treatments with O and 100 GA ppm, and in lhe Fl, when plants had two tofour leaves in lhe treatments with O, 100 and 1000 GA ppm. The heigth measurement was done 20 days after lhe aplication of GA in GH, 18 days in LA andfour-week evaluatíons in lhe Fl. The identijication of GA sensitive genotypes was possible in ali environments. The heigth dijference between the treatments was used to compare the environments, and the targer difference were observed in GH and in the Fl. The genotype x environment interaction was not significam, demonstrating showing the possibility ofusing this identification test in thefield. Seven days after the tratment aplication the sensitive ofGA genotypes could be detected througth height measurements and visual evaluation.