Three determinate (dt1/dt1) soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) lines: Hoyt, HC 80-1742 and HC 80-1756, with a "standard" linolenic acid content (Fan/Fan) were crossed to the indeterminate (dt1/dt1), "low" linolenic acid (fan/fan) line G-LLA-F3. The F2 plants descended from these crosses were grown in the field at Harrow in 1988 and the F2:3 plants were grown at Harrow and Ridgetown, Ontario in 1989. In the F2 progeny, the mean linolenic acid content of the determinate plants was not different from the mean of the indeterminate plants for the "standard" class (8.5 and 8.6%) or for the "low" class (4.1 and 4.2%). In the F2:3 progeny, for the "standard" class, the determinate plants (9.4%) had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher mean linolenic acid content than the indeterminate plants (9.1%). For the "low" class, the mean linolenic acid content of the determinate plants (4.9%) was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than the mean of the indeterminate plants (5.2%) at Ridgetown, but was not different (4.7 and 4.7%) at Harrow. The differences in linolenic acid content between stem types were less than the differences between lines or between locations. Overall, there was no pattern associated with stem termination type and linolenic acid content for soybean plants grown in short season areas. Key words: Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., determinate, indeterminate, linolenic acid