Authors: You's Kertye Myrtil, Vander Lacerda, and Xiaoying Li
Edamame, a vegetable soybean harvested at an immature stage with green pods, has gained popularity in the United States due to its high nutritional value and taste, resulting in rising demand. However, limited information is available on the performance of edamame varieties in South Florida. This study aimed to 1) evaluate the field performance of fourteen commercial edamame varieties in South Florida to determine their adaptability for local production, and 2) explore correlations between yield, pod size, and plant physiological traits to identify key indicators for both fresh yield and pod size. The study assessed various phenotypic and agronomic traits at harvest, including yield, plant height, canopy size, leaf area, chlorophyll content, 10-pod weight, pod size (length, width, and thickness), root nodule count, and biomass (fresh and dry). Principal component analysis (PCA) identified Kahala, Goo, KAS 355-11, UA-Kirksey, and Young Soybean as the best performers, while Envy Soybean, Butterbeans, and Fiskeby were the poorest. Yield varied significantly among varieties (p<0.01). Strong correlations (r>0.70; p<0.01) were found between yield and traits such as biomass (fresh and dry), leaf area, and plant height and canopy size. Positive correlations were also observed between yield and maturity days (r>0.61; p<0.05), suggesting that later-maturing varieties tend to have higher yield potential in South Florida. On the other hand, pod size (length, width, and thickness) showed a positive correlation with 10-pod weight and biomass (both fresh and dry) at an r value of approximately 0.6 (p<0.05), but not with maturity days, chlorophyll content, or other factors. This indicates that biomass contributes to both yield and pod size. Interestingly, no correlation was found between yield and pod size, likely because yield was more closely related to the number of pods per plant. These findings provide valuable insights for selecting suitable edamame varieties for South Florida production.
