In 2017–2019, the nature of the inheritance of ear length in F1 and transgressive variability in F2 populations obtained by hybridization of soft winter wheat varieties with different maturity were studied. It was found that in most combinations of crossbreeding, inheritance of ear length had a positive overdominance (hp = 1.1–39.0). A positive hypothetical heterosis was determined in early-maturing varieties in the maternal form, with the exception of the Kolchuga / Chornyava combination, by the length of the main ear (Ht = 3.6–44.8 %). a positive true heterosis (Hbt=1,1–32.9 %) was found in 15 of 20 hybrids. During the hybridization of medium-early, medium-ripe and medium-late varieties, all hybrids showed a positive hypothetical heterosis and 19 of 22 combinations had positive true heterosis. A significant influence of hybridization components on the indicators of the phenotypic dominance degree, hypothetical and true heterosis was established. Most of the F2 populations significantly exceeded the parental components of hybridization by the extreme maximum indexes of the main ear length, which indicates a significant shaping process and the possibility of selection on the basis of the studied trait. The maximum length of the main ear (10.3–12.1) was formed by most populations in which the maternal forms were varieties Kolchuga and Chornyava, as well as combinations Zolotokolos / Chornyava, Zolotokolosa / Stolychna and Yednist / Vidrada. The extreme maximum values reached 13.0–15.0 cm. In 36 of the 42 F2 populations, a positive degree and frequency of transgressions by the length of the main ear were determined, and their indexes largely depended on the pairs selection for hybridization. The highest degree of positive transgression was observed in the population Yednist / Vidrada (44.4 %) with a recombinant frequency of 86.7 %. Populations were characterized by a high degree and frequency of positive transgressions: Kolchuga / Yednist; Myronivska early / Antonivka; Myronivska early / Vdala; Zolotokolosa / Vidrada; Dobirna / Pyvna; Zolotokolosa / Stolychna; Zolotokolosa / Shchedra nyva; Myronivska early / Yednist; Myronivska early / Zolotokolosa; Myronivska early / B.Ts. n / a.
Key words: soft winter wheat, maturity of varieties, combinations of crossbreeding, inheritance, hybrids, ear length, hypothetical and true heterosis, degree of phenotypic dominance, F2 populations, degree and frequency of transgressions.