Maturity and pubescence color are associated in short-season soybean

Soybean [Glycine mas (L.) Merr.] pubescence characteristics may affect maturity in short-season germplasm. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of pubescence color and density with maturity in short-season soybean germplasm. In Exp. 1, 106 F-2-derived quadruplets differing in pubescence color and density were developed from crosses between a F-3:4 progeny row, with dense pubescence and segregating for pubescence color, and four grey- and four tawny-pubescent lines with normal pubescence density. These 424 lines were evaluated for maturity for 4 yr at Ottawa, ON. Grey-pubescent lines matured an average of 8.6 d later than taw-ny-pubescent lines. Dense-pubescent lines matured an average of 2.6 d later than lines with normal pubescence density. In Exp. 2, crosses were made between five grey- and five tawny-pubescent parents and the maturity of 1397 homozygous grey- or tawny-pubescent F-3 progeny rows was observed. Grey-pubescent progeny rows matured an average of 8.6 d later than tawny-pubescent progeny rows. One tawny-pubescent parent produced progeny in which maturity was not associated with pubescence color. In short-season (e(1)e(1)) soybean germplasm, tawny pubescence is associated with early maturity. Since the E-1 maturity locus is linked to the T pubescence color locus, there may be a third allele at the E-1 locus or alternatively there may be a second maturity locus linked to pubescence color.