Abstract: To link the Chinese maturity groups system with the US system, 48 of 13 MGs from the US and 256 land races from China were tested. The soybeans from China were classified into 000, 00, 0, Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅸ. It was shown that the spring sowing soybeans from Middle and Lower Changjiang Valley Soybean Cultivating Region were grouped into 0~Ⅵ , and that summer sowing soybeans were grouped into Ⅲ~Ⅷ . In addition, the geographical distribut ion of maturity groups of spring or summer sowing soybeans from Middle and Lower Changjiang Valley Soybean Cultivating Region was also presented in this paper.

Key words: middle and lower Changjiang valley, soybean, maturity groups, geographical distribution