The J-protein family comprises molecular chaperones involved in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Little is known about this gene family in soybean. Hence, we characterized J-protein genes in soybean, with the most highly expressed and responsive during flower and seed development. We also revealed their phylogeny, structure, motif analysis, chromosome location, and expression. Based on their evolutionary links, we divided the 111 potential soybean J-proteins into 12 main clades (I–XII). Gene-structure estimation revealed that each clade had an exon-intron structure resembling or comparable to others. Most soybean J-protein genes lacked introns in Clades I, III, and XII. Moreover, transcriptome data obtained from a publicly accessible soybean database and RT-qPCR were used to examine the differential expression of DnaJ genes in various soybean tissues and organs. The expression level of DnaJ genes indicated that, among 14 tissues, at least one tissue expressed the 91 soybean genes. The findings suggest that J-protein genes could be involved in the soybean growth period and offer a baseline for further functional research into J-proteins' role in soybean. One important application is the identification of J-proteins that are highly expressed and responsive during flower and seed development in soybean. These genes likely play crucial roles in these processes, and their identification can contribute to breeding programs to improve soybean yield and quality.

Soybean is a short-day crop, and its sensitivity to photoperiod is an important trait for its adaptability. Rapid changes in the climate on a global scale could be a threat to future food security. There is a need to increase the heat tolerance of soybean to sustain its production. The availability of global germplasm provides plant breeders with the opportunity to explore the genetic potential of the existing soybean germplasm. For this purpose, a panel of 203 soybean accessions from different global climatic zones was evaluated for adaptability under long-day conditions. Field screening of the soybean germplasm was conducted over two consecutive years, 2016 and 2017, in Faisalabad, Pakistan. This study screened 15 diverse soybean accessions that exhibited economically viable yields in both years, i.e., 1500–2200 kg/ha. Data related to plant height, node number, pods per plant, seeds per plant, seed weight per plant, hundred-grain weight, and total yield were recorded. Two soybean accessions, PI548271 (MG-IV) and PI553039 (MG-IV,) produced the highest yield in both years. The genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variance, broad-sense heritability, and genetic advances observed in their yields were also high. These results highlight the potential pre-existing genetic variation required to improve the adaptation of soybean to long-day conditions. Some of the accessions identified in the current study could be recommended for general cultivation under long-day and high-temperature conditions.