Natural Variations in Key Maturity Genes Underpin Soybean Cultivars Adaptation Beyond 50° N in Northeast China

Expanding soybean planting is vital for food security both in China and globally. The 50° N latitude serves as the northern boundary of major soybean regions. However, enhancing the adaptability of soybean to photothermal conditions enables the potential to extend cultivation to higher latitudes and altitudes. Understanding the genetic basis of super-early maturity of soybean is crucial to achieving this goal. In this study, 438 soybean germplasms collected from high-latitude regions were evaluated in Heihe (HH) (50°15' N, 127°28' E, 154 m), Beijicun (BJC) (53°28' N, 122°21' E, 295 m) and Labudalin (LBDL) (50°15' N, 120°19' E, 577 m). Using resequencing data, we analyzed natural variation and haplotypes in 35 key genes associated with flowering time and maturity. The results showed that the relative maturity groups (RMGs) for BJC, HH, and LBDL were -1.0, 0.0, and -1.2, respectively. Among the 35 genes analyzed, 23 had identical allelic variations, while 12 genes exhibited 19 SNPs and four InDels. Functional mutations were identified in <i>E1</i>, <i>E2</i>, <i>E3</i>, and <i>E4</i>. Notably, all cultivars carried the <i>e1-as</i> allele of <i>E1</i>, which is likely critical for high-latitude adaptation. Additional mutations included a single-base substitution in <i>E2</i> (16142 A > T) and <i>E3</i> (5203 C > T), causing premature codon termination, along with frameshift mutations in <i>E4</i> (3726 and 4099) and <i>E3</i> (2649). Haplotype analysis revealed significant differences in growth stages among nine gene haplotypes. The higher frequency of early-maturing haplotypes in BJC and LBDL highlights the role of gene accumulation in soybean adaptation. These findings offer valuable insights for improving soybean maturity and expanding its cultivation in high-latitude regions of China.