In 2020, on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, soybeans were cultivated on an area of about 127.7 thousand hectares. To expand the acreage of this crop, it is necessary to create new varieties with a high genetic potential for productivity and quality and adaptive to the various soil and climatic zones of the Republic. The work aims to monitor the quality indicators and productivity of new highly productive varieties of soybeans with a high content of protein and oil in seeds. In Kazakhstan, 18 varieties of soybeans have been bred and approved for production at latitudes from 53 to 42°N. The varieties belong to maturity groups 00, 0, I, II, III. There is a tendency to an increase in the collection of oil and protein in the varieties of the new generation. In the varieties created in the 70s-80s, the collection of protein per hectare was 1,078.0-1,238.3 kg and oil at 577.5-734.5 kg. In the new generation varieties, the collection of protein per hectare is in the range of 944.7-1,705.3 kg, and oil at 415.9-974.6 kg. The yield capacity of different varieties falls in the range of 20.9 to 43.9 kg/ha, depending on the maturity group.

Moisture stress is a major environmental factor that limits the soy (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) yield worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate production characters of 98 varieties and collection samples of soy in the fields of the Almaty region of the Republic of Kazakhstan with and without irrigation. The experiment used a combination of features -weight of seeds from a plot, weight of 1,000 seeds, and seed plumpness -as the main markers for drought resistance assessment. Based on a comprehensive assessment of the working collection, soybean genotypes with high drought resistance were identified. These genotypes are useful genetic materials for soy breeding programs with the aim to increase yields and drought resistance. Varieties of the maturity group 00 can be cultivated in the Almaty region without irrigation, since these accessions avoid moisture stress by shortening the vegetation period. These samples can also be recommended for cultivation in non-irrigared areas of Eastern and Northern Kazakhstan. The highest productivity potential in the Almaty region was found in varieties of the maturity group II. However, their cultivation without irrigation will lead to a maximum decrease in yield.