Evaluation of Released Soybean (Glycine max L.) Varieties on Adaptability and Yield Performance in Hawassa Zuria and Halaba Zone

In Ethiopia soybean is recognized as a key national oilseed crop because of its significant production of edible oil and the importance of its byproduct (soybean cake) as livestock feed. So, the selection of appropriate varieties is very important to achieve the national goal. Therefore, selecting suitable varieties is essential for achieving the national objective. Consequently, this study aimed to evaluate and identify the best soybean varieties based on adaptability and yield performance in the study areas. The trial was carried out during the main cropping season of 2023/24 at Hawassa Zuria in the Sidama region and Halaba in the Central Ethiopia region using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Eighteen released soybean varieties were evaluated in two different environments. The yield and hundred seed weight of soybean varieties were adjusted at 12% moisture content and subjected to analysis of variance. The analysis of variance revealed significant variations for all tested treats. Among the tested soybean varieties, Gishama scored the highest mean grain yield (3162.60 kg per hectare) and showed consistent grain yield across the locations, followed by SCS-1 and Cocker-240 with the respective mean grain yields of 3053.86 and 3068.37 kg ha⁻¹. Soybean variety SCS-1 (3436.83 kg ha⁻¹) was a high yielder at Hawassa Zuria. On the other hand, varieties Clark63-k (3090.82 kg per hectare) and MelkoBonsa-1 (3088.16 kg per hectare) were recorded as the highest yielders at Halaba Zone; however, based on the combined yield result, variety Gishama (3162.60 kg per hectare) had a higher mean grain yield than the others tested in the environments. In terms of maturity time variety, Guda took a short day to mature (114 days to 95% maturity). In terms of seed size, Guda recorded the highest (20.73 g) hundred-seed weight, followed by Hawassa-04 (20.07 g). Overall, variety Gishama was recommended for its wider adaptation and yield performance across the locations, but in terms of specific adaptation, variety SCS-1 had performed better at Hawassa Zuria, whereas Clarck63-k and MelkoBonsa-1 had performed better at Halaba.