The objective of this work was to investigate whether oil and protein contents of soybean cultivars released after 1990 for the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, differ from the contents found in cultivars in use before that year. A study was carried out in 1996/97 involving cultivars recommended at different periods, produced at three sites of that state. Oil content was determined by the Soxlet method, and protein content was determined by the Kjeldahl method. It was found that most cultivars released between 1991 and 1996 showed lower protein content and higher oil content than older cultivars. The use of the União and Industrial cultivars as parents should be one of the main reasons to the lower protein content in these cultivars. The change of parents provided a recuperation in the protein content of new lines up to the level found in the cultivars released before 1990. Phenotypical correlations indicated that there is a significant negative association between oil and protein contents only.
Glycine max; genetic correlation; chemical composition
