Monday, November 13, 2006 - 9:30 AM
56-6

Production of Edamame Vegetable Soybeans in Tennessee.

Debra J. S. Carpenter1, Fred L. Allen1, Dennis Deyton1, Carl E. Sams2, and Vincent R. Pantalone2. (1) Univ of Tennessee, Dept of Plant Sciences, 2431 Joe Johnson Dr., 252 Ellington Bldg., Knoxville, TN 37996-4561, (2) Univ of Tennessee, Dept of Plant Sciences, 2431 Joe Johnson Dr., 252 Ellington Bldg., Knoxville, TN 37996-4561

The objectives of this study are three-fold: to determine the within row plant spacing and time of planting that will produce optimal yields and seed isoflavone content, to explore the feasibility of incorporating edamame soybeans in a double-cropping system with strawberries, and to study the potential as an edamame soybean of newly identified line TN03-349. Line TN03-349 was planted into black plastic, irrigated strawberry beds in an East Tennessee location at five different within row spacings (0.075, 0.15, 0.30, 0.60, and 1.20 meters) in 2004 and 2005. Another strawberry bed planting was located in Middle Tennessee in 2005. Four soybean lines and two planting dates were used in the Middle Tennessee experiment. Two lines are high yielding soybean checks, while the third is a commercially available edamame cultivar. The fourth line is TN03-349. Planting dates were May 24 and June 14, 2005. A final field experiment also located in Middle Tennessee utilized the same four soybean lines and planting dates with an additional planting on July 6, 2005. Four different within row spacings were used as well. All experimental plantings were harvested at both the R6(green) and R8(dry) stages. Preliminary data indicates that isoflavone content was not affected by within row plant spacing in the 2004 East Tennessee strawberry bed  experiment. Yield data from the same experiment seems to indicate that soybeans were able to compensate  for fewer plants per row at the 0.075, 0.15, and 0.30 meter spacings. Yield dropped sharply at the 0.60 and 1.20 m spacings. Line TN03-349 produced beans with large seed size and nutty flavor, traits which are essential for edamame soybeans. The 2005 field experiment data indicate that date of planting, plant spacing, and genotype were all significant in determining yield under more standard field conditions (SAS9.1, Pr<.05).