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Increasing Fresh Edamame Bean Supply through Season Extension Techniques

Nolen S, Zhang B and Kering MK

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], a legume native to East Asia contains up to 40% protein and 20% oil. Edamame, a popular vegetable soybean in East Asia, especially China and Japan, harvested at reproductive stages six and seven (R6 or R7) is gaining popularity in the US. Increased awareness of its nutritional quality through promotional campaigns and changing population demographics in the US have led to a recent rise in US market demand for edamame. To meet the increasing market demand, frozen edamame from China and Taiwan has been imported. However, the quality of such imported product quickly deteriorates under frozen condition. The objective of this study was to determine whether off-season production systems and staggered planting of different maturity groups (MG) edamame cultivars during the planting season can extend the harvesting window for fresh beans. Four released edamame cultivars of different maturity groups (MG) were used: Gardensoy31 (MG III), Gardensoy41 (MG IV), Mooncake (MG V) and Randolph (MG VI). Total pod yield, marketable pod yield and seed quality traits including protein, oil and sucrose content of each cultivar were determined. The results indicated that early- and mid-spring planting of all MG varieties in the high tunnels allows for pod harvest starting in early July. Planting early in the plasticcovered field followed by conventional planting in the late-spring allowed harvest in mid-summer through early fall. While total and marketable pod yield differed among cultivars and production systems, seeds had comparable oil content (158 g kg-1) and protein and sucrose content range of 370-422 g kg-1 and 33-73 g kg-1 on dry matter, respectively. Use of season extension production techniques and soybean of appropriate MG increases harvest window from two weeks to several months.