The consumption of edamame [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in the US has rapidly increased due to its nutritional value and potential health benefits. In this study, 10 edamame genotypes were planted in duplicates in three different locations in the US—Whitethorne, Virginia (VA), Little Rock, Arkansas (AR), and Painter, VA. Edamame samples were harvested at the R6 stage of the bean development when beans filled 80–90% of the pod cavity. Afterward, comprehensive chemical composition analysis, including sugars, alanine, protein, oil, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), starch, ash, and moisture contents, were conducted on powdered samples using standard methods and the total sweetness was calculated based on the measured sugars and alanine contents. Significant effects of the location were observed on all chemical constituents of edamame (p < 0.05). The average performance of the genotypes was higher in Whitethorne for the contents of free sucrose (59.29 mg/g), fructose (11.42 mg/g), glucose (5.38 mg/g), raffinose (5.32 mg/g), stachyose (2.34 mg/g), total sweetness (78.63 mg/g), and starch (15.14%) when compared to Little Rock and Painter. The highest soluble alanine (2.67 mg/g), NDF (9.00%), ash (5.60%), and moisture (70.36%) contents were found on edamame planted in Little Rock while edamame planted in Painter had the highest crude protein (43.11%) and oil (20.33%) contents. Significant effects of genotype were observed on most of the chemical constituents (p < 0.05) except NDF and raffinose. Among the 10 genotypes, R13-5029 consistently had high sucrose content and total sweetness across the three locations, meanwhile it had relatively high protein and fiber contents. Overall, the results indicate that to breed better edamame genotypes in the US, both genotype and planting location should be taken into considerations.

Currently, domestic production of vegetable soybean (aka "edamame") lags well behind consumer demand, with approximately 70% of U.S.-consumed edamame imported each year. A major barrier for growth of the U.S. edamame industry is an overall lack of varieties with adequate consumer acceptability and adaption to the U.S. climate and environment. In this study, we evaluated eleven vegetable soybean genotypes (including one commercial check) for differences in yield, pod size, and resistance to local insect, bacterial, and fungal pressures in order to identify genotypes with the greatest potential for use in commercial edamame production. Although there were variations in average pod length (42.1 -53.6 mm), width (10.9 -12.7 mm), and thickness (6.29 -7.34 mm) among the genotypes, only pod length showed statistical significance. In addition, genotype significantly affected fresh pod yield. The prevalence of specific insect pests varied by location and year and included soybean aphid, potato leafhopper, Mexican bean beetle, as well as a complex of stink bugs and lepidopteran larvae. For each of these insect pests, significant differences were observed. Some plant diseases observed on the edamame genotypes included: downy mildew, bacterial pustule, Fusarium pod rot, Cercospora blight and purple seed stain, and damping off. In 2018, in Whitethorne, VA, soybean downy mildew was quite prevalent and disease symptoms varied considerably. Overall, genotypes V16-0524 and R15-10280 showed particularly favorable yield,

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There is growing interest in developing calibrations for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed sugars on near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) instruments to increase the efficiency of sugar profiling. In this study, a set of 253 samples from Virginia Tech's soybean germplasm with a wide range of sugar content were used to create prediction models for sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose in ground soybean seed on the Perten DA7250 NIRS instrument. Following acquisition of spectral data, seed sugars were extracted from ground samples and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to obtain reference data. Spectral and HPLC data were modeled using partial least squares regression (PLSR) on CAMO Unscrambler X software and internally cross-validated using the same software. Resulting calibrations showed high quantitative accuracy with the coefficient of determination of calibration (R 2 C) = .901, the coefficient of determination of cross-validation (R 2 CV) = .869, root mean squared error of calibration (RMSEC) = .516, and root mean squared error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of .596 for sucrose and R 2 C = .911, R 2 CV = .891, RMSEC = .361, and RMSECV of .405 for stachyose. These calibrations appear suitable for use in breeding operations. Meanwhile, performance of the raffinose calibration remained poor with R 2 C = .568, R 2 CV = .476, RMSEC = .129, and RMSECV = .143. Alternative methods for more accurate and rapid quantification of raffinose concentration in soybean seed should be investigated.

Introduction of locally adapted, commercially viable edamame varieties can allow it to be marketed as fresh, local, organic, or on the stalk. Here, we utilized a one-and-one-half bounded (OOHB) elicitation format to estimate mean willingness to pay (WTP) for these external attributes in relation to a vector of explanatory variables. Results showed 84-, 85-, and 28-cent premiums for fresh, local, and organic edamame (10 oz). Pro-environmental attitudes drove WTP for all three of these attributes, while shopping location significantly increased mean WTP for fresh and organic attributes. A 40-cent price discount was observed for the “on-the-stalk” attribute, suggesting that convenience also plays an important role in marketing edamame. The results suggest that more research regarding edamame demand is warranted.