Edamame Cultivar Evaluation in Central Alabama.

Edamame (Glycine max (L.), are vegetable soybeans consumed at the green stage.  In 2013 it was estimated that the United States consumed between 22,700-27,270 tonnes of edamame. Demand is expected to increase as consumers look for healthier, lower cost sources of protein to add to their diet. Isoflavones contained in edamame have been implicated in the reduction of cancer and cardiovascular disease. The increasing popularity of edamame as a healthy snack food has led to increased interest in edamame production from soybean producers across the southeast. Little is known about best production methods for edamame. The objective of this study was to evaluate selected edamame varieties for production in central Alabama. Data was collected on germination, plant height, height of first pod, weight of 25 shelled beans, days to R6, pods per plant, beans per pod, and total yield. No differences were seen in germination percentages. The average germination rate was greater than 87%, much higher than observed in previous work. Results indicate yield differences among cultivars. Highest yielding varieties included Gardensoy 51 and Madori Giant at 15,960 and 15,742 kg ha ^-1. Gardensoy 42 and BeSweet 2001 produced lowest yields of 12,558 and 10,226 kg ha^-1 respectively. Weight of 25 shelled beans varied widely among varieties. BeSweet 2001, Sayamusume, and Madori Giant had the largest beans at 30, 27.3, and 26.3 g respectively. Owens produced the smallest beans with a 25 bean weight of 14.5 g.