INFLUENCE OF METEOROLOGICAL VARIABLES AND GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS IN THE SELECTION OF SOYBEAN LINES

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of meteorological variables and geographic factors on the selection of soybean lines concerning grain yield in Brazil and Paraguay soybean-producing regions. The study was conducted in seven different environments: Bela Vista do Norte - PY, Palotina - PR, Mangueirinha - PR, Major Vieira - SC, Três Passos - RS, Toledo – PR, and Passo Fundo - RS. The randomized block design in an incomplete factorial scheme with six soybean genotypes (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6) was used for the experiments. The harvest occurred in the first half of March, and grain yield was measured through the total harvest of the plot and expressed in kg ha-1, with grain moisture at 13%. The climatic variables used in the study were maximum air temperature (Tmax, ºC), average air temperature (Tavg, ºC), minimum air temperature (Tmin, ºC), relative air humidity (RH, %), precipitation (Prec, mm), wind speed (WS, m/s), dew point (DP, °C), incident radiation (Rad_Inc, MJ/m²), and total radiation (RAD_OL, MJ/m²); and geographic factors were altitude (ALT), longitude (LON), and latitude (LAT). The G5 genotype with a genetic value for grain yield above the general average is the most adapted to favorable environments. Altitude had the greatest influence on the biological variability of the genotypes, with a negative correlation of moderate magnitude with grain yield. Grain yield was enhanced in environments with altitudes lower than 338 m at latitudes below 24.17S.