Context. Breeding for early maturity and higher yield is the principal objective in genetic improvement of Indian soybean. Yellow Mosaic Disease caused by Mungbean Yellow Mosaic India Virus (MYMIV) causes 80% yield loss in soybean.

Aims. This study aimed to develop early maturing, MYMIV resistant and high yielding soybean genotypes for enhancing soybean production and expanding the land area under cropping.

Methods. MYMIV resistance was introgressed from G. soja in to a widely adaptable cultivar JS 335 through a series of four generations of backcrosses and by evaluating derived progeny against MYMIV at a disease hot spot.

Key results. An extra-early maturing (71 days) genetic stock called NRC 252 was developed, which can be a potential gene donor in breeding for early maturing soybean varieties. Introgression lines YMV 1, YMV 2, YMV 11 and YMV 16 with MYMIV resistance and higher yield performance over recurrent parent and other check varieties were identified and characterised. Biplot analysis, assessing the main effect of genotype and the interaction of genotype with environment, revealed an ideal genotype with respect to 100-seed weight and grain yield that was also promising under sugarcane-soybean intercropping system in spring season.

Conclusions. Alleles from wild type soybean could improve yield attributing traits and MYMIV resistance in cultivated soybean. Improved genotypes such as YMV 1, YMV 2, YMV 11 and YMV 16 were found superior to the recurrent parent JS 335 as well as other check varieties.

Implications. The genotypes developed in the present study will help in reducing the damage caused by MYMIV disease and expansion of the area of soybean cultivation through intercropping with sugarcane.