The objective of this work was to evaluate the tolerance of soybean genotypes to water stress in substract soaked with polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). The study used seeds stored for one year in laboratory uncontrolled conditions, of the following cultivars: CD 201, CD 202, CD 204, CD 205, CD 206, CD 208, CD 215, CD 216, Embrapa 48, BRS 132, BRS 184 and BRS 212. The soybean seeds were evaluated through germination tests, seedling vigor classification tests, seedling length and dry biomass, under water stress conditions using two levels of osmotic potential (0.0 and -0.1 MPa). Cultivars were them grouped in different levels of drought tolerance, by the percentage reduction in the appraised characteristics {% Reduction = [1-(Germination or Vigor in PEG 6000 / Germination or Vigor in water)] x 100}, for the technique of grouping analysis, according to the nearest neighbor hierarchical method. The soybean genotypes presented differentiated behavior regarding drought tolerance. The Embrapa 48 cultivar presented the greatest tolerance to water stress. Comparing the results obtained by multivariate analysis and by the Scott-Knott grouping method, good concordance was observed between the two methods in the constitution of the groups. The method used and the statistical procedure adopted allowed to differentiate the soybean cultivars in a short period of time.
Glycine max (L.) Merrill; seeds; osmotic potential; germination; water stress