An investigations has been conducted in order to compare a modified single seed descent method of selection used at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, with the standard bulk and pedigree methods of selection. Fifteen genotypes were used as sources of hybrid populations: 9 varieties and lines from Novi Sad, 5 genotypes originating from USA and one line from Romania. Ten crosses were made using those genotypes. The lines developed by the three procedures were compared in the F₆ generation. The following traits were tested: grain yield (g/plot), number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, and 1000-grain mass (g). Data were processed by the ANOVA method. The “t” test was used to establish differences between mean values of the investigated traits; genetic gain of selection was a basic indicator of the methods’ efficiency.

In most cases, signifficant differences occurred among the progenies, for all investigated traits. The best results were achieved by the single seed descent method of selection. The populations developed by this method had in most cases significantly higher mean values for grain yield compared with the populations developed by the other two methods.

The advantage of genetic gain as an indicator of efficiency of selection method was confirmed when interpreting the results for grain yield and yield components. Populations with desirable traits could be identified more easily, which is useful when selection is performed for such a complex trait as grain yield.

Many of the developed populations contained superior, high-yielding lines, commercially suitable regarding their grain yield, yield components, vegetation length, plant height and lodging resistance. These lines will be used for further work.

Keywords: soybean, breeding, genetic gain of selection, selection methods

A copy of thesis is filed in the Library of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad (contains 70 pages, 44 tables, 4 graphs, 3 figures, originally in Serbian with summary on English)