Global Status of Vegetable Soybean

Abstract

Vegetable soybean, popularly known as edamame in Japan and mao dou in China is a specialty soybean. Green pods with physiologically mature beans are harvested, and whole pods or shelled beans are used as a fresh or frozen vegetable. Vegetable soybeans are prepared in diverse ways, and they are highly nutritious, with excellent taste properties. Unlike grain soybeans, it is perishable. In this review, the chronological progression of area, production, export, import, and expansion of vegetable soybeans and potential for further expansion is discussed. Available information on current ongoing research and development activities in various countries around the world are presented, and their relevance is discussed. At present, the production and consumption of vegetable soybeans are mainly in East and Southeast Asia, with Japan as the largest importing country that dictates the global market. However, interest and trend in cultivation of this crop in other regions has increased significantly. Lack of germplasm or suitable varieties is a major constraint in vegetable soybean production and expansion in countries outside East and Southeast Asia. Most of the vegetable soybean varieties are genetically related and are susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses. Extensive research and breeding of vegetable soybeans are still restricted in a few countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan and the USA. The need for focused research and development activities with concern for the environment, farmers’ and processors’ profit, consumers’ preference, quality, and nutrition are emphasized.

RETRACTED: Genomic Footprints of Selection for Enhancing Productivity in Taiwanese Vegetable Soybeans through Core Collection Framework

“…Vegetable soybeans boast large seed sizes and are rich sources of plant proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and isoflavones [1]. The rising awareness of healthy dietary pattern has driven the demand for vegetable soybeans across diverse geographic regions, including Asia, the Americas, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa [2,3]. Soybeans were domesticated from wild soybeans (Glycine soja Sieb.…”

“…is estimated to have occurred as early as 6,000-9,000 years ago in China [4], and soybeans were already being consumed as a vegetable around 1,000-2,200 years ago [5]. Contemporary statistics depict a global surge in vegetable soybean cultivation, with China, Japan, and Taiwan emerging as pivotal production centers [3].…”

“…Most soybean research focused on grain soybeans due to the extensive cultivation to serve a wide range of purposes, less attention has been given to vegetable soybeans [3]. The diverse breeding objectives and selection criteria for vegetable and grain soybeans likely led to the development of distinct genetic profiles [6,7].…”

“…In recent years, research efforts in the field of vegetable soybeans have primarily focused on identifying genetic loci linked to key agronomic traits such as seed weight, pod weight, and soluble sugar content [10,11]. While these investigations have significantly advanced our understanding of trait-specific genetic markers in vegetable soybeans, there remains a notable gap in our exploration of the genetic background, with few studies directed toward investigating the population structure of vegetable soybeans [3]. Alternatively, some studies have only broadly categorized the germplasms into soybeans, vegetable soybeans, and wild soybeans for research, potentially oversimplifying the genetic makeup [6].…”

“…Additionally, the sampling strategy of germplasms should be expanded to encompass regions with distinct environmental conditions to capture the full spectrum of genetic diversity. The incorporation of the rich reservoirs of germplasm from Taiwan and Japan [2,3] would provide valuable insights into the population structure and genetic architecture of vegetable soybeans.…”