Desiccation aims to control weeds and cause crop defoliation. The procedure facilitates the work of harvesters, allows earlier harvesting and standardization, and can reduce losses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-harvest desiccation on cycle time, seed yield and seed physiological quality of soybean cultivars of determinate and indeterminate growth types. The determinate and indeterminate cultivars 'BRS Valiosa' RR and 'MSoy 7211' RR were used for experiment. Three desiccation stages: R5.7, R6.5, R7.3 and a control treatment (R8) were tested in a 2×4 factorial scheme, with four replications. The cycle, seed water content, yield (kg ha -1 ), 100-seed weight, protein content, proportion of seeds per sieve (6.0, 5.5, 5.0 and 4.0mm); greenish, defective and normal seed percentages; and the physiological qualities of the seeds were evaluated. There was interaction between cultivar and desiccation stage for 100-seed weight, seed oil content and germination. In relation to the main factors, cultivars and stage of desiccation, only the 5.5 mm sieve fraction was not significant. Early desiccation at the R5.7 and R6.5 stages reduced yield by up to 27%. It was possible to advance the harvest of 'MSoy 7211' by up to 11 days without yield loss. Germination, however, was not affected by stage of desiccation. Desiccation at the R7.3 stage did not reduce the yield, strength or germination in either cultivar.