2009 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Identify soybean accessions with high seed germinability. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Conduct assays with accessions from the USDA soybean germplasm collection in order to identify accessions with high seed germinability. 3.Progress Report This research is designed to identify. 1)exotic germplasm with improved seed quality and germination under the production conditions of the early planting production system in the Midsouth and. 2)high-yielding experimental lines adapted to the early planting production system that incorporate these improved seed quality traits. Recent research identified 96 breeding lines with = 90% germination. Thirty-three of the 96 lines have been tested in 4 consecutive years and had at least 90% germination in each year. These 33 lines will be increased in 2009 for initial yield tests in 2010. Among the 96 are backcross (BC1) F3 progenies with germinations = 90%, which have the popular varieties 5002T, 5601T, and DT97-4290 as recurrent parents.