Four methods were applied to determine pairwise genetic distances among five soybean genotypes which are potential genitors for a mapping population. Additionally, individual plants from the most divergent pair of genotypes were evaluated by the RAPD technique to determine their degree of homozygosity. Genetic distances based on RAPD data were calculated by the modified Rogers' distance, and also by the following arithmetical complements of similarity: simple match, Nei and Li, and Gower. These genetic distances were similar, presenting a correlation coefficient ranging from 0.99 to 1.00. In all four methods lines UFV 91-717 and Ichigowase were the most divergent ones (4.53 to 21.43%). DNA samples from five plants from each of the two most divergent genotypes were amplified with 28 different primers. Among the amplified products, only five were polymorphic in each group (2.10%), demonstrating their high intragroup degree of homozygosity. These homozygosity were maintained when DNA samples from 12 plants from each of the two most divergent genotypes were amplified. These parameters were extremely useful for the confirmation of the chosen pair of genitors to generate a mapping population.