Articles
Unlocking the potential of edamame in Miami-Dade county: fall season cultivar adaptation and postharvest
Article number
1460_7
Pages
61 – 70
Language
English
Abstract
Edamame is vegetable soybean harvested at an immature stage.
Historical records indicated that edamame has become popular in the United States over the past decades, due to its high nutritional profile and less beany taste.
Despite the spike in consumer demand, more than 70% of the edamame consumed in the US is still imported from East Asia.
This highlights the need to strengthen domestic production, identifying suitable cultivars and optimal production windows, particularly in subtropical regions like Florida, where multi-season cropping is feasible.
Beyond agronomic performance, postharvest longevity is a critical factor for both growers and supply chain stakeholders.
Yet limited information is available on how different cultivars perform under tropical growing conditions and postharvest storage.
This study evaluated the field performance and postharvest quality of 16 commercial edamame cultivars grown in Homestead, FL, from October to December 2024. The cultivars were evaluated using a randomized complete block design, and key agronomic indicators including yield, emergence rate, aboveground biomass and pod size were recorded.
Following harvest, fresh pods were stored at 4±1°C and 85±5% RH, and shelf life was monitored over two weeks by assessing color deterioration and edamame harvest quality index (EHQI). Significant differences were observed among the tested cultivars, with ‘Chiba Green’, ‘Goo’ and ‘BeSweet 2001’ exhibiting superior performance in yield and pod size.
Cultivars ‘KAS 355-11’ and ‘Sayamusume’ demonstrated postharvest stability, maintaining pod quality for up to 15 days under refrigerated storage, whereas other cultivars showed rapid deterioration within six days.
These findings demonstrate that the potential of growing edamame in subtropical climates and underscore the critical role of cultivar selection in achieving both strong field performance and extended shelf life.
This work lays the foundation for advancing research and fostering the successful adoption of edamame in South Florida.
Historical records indicated that edamame has become popular in the United States over the past decades, due to its high nutritional profile and less beany taste.
Despite the spike in consumer demand, more than 70% of the edamame consumed in the US is still imported from East Asia.
This highlights the need to strengthen domestic production, identifying suitable cultivars and optimal production windows, particularly in subtropical regions like Florida, where multi-season cropping is feasible.
Beyond agronomic performance, postharvest longevity is a critical factor for both growers and supply chain stakeholders.
Yet limited information is available on how different cultivars perform under tropical growing conditions and postharvest storage.
This study evaluated the field performance and postharvest quality of 16 commercial edamame cultivars grown in Homestead, FL, from October to December 2024. The cultivars were evaluated using a randomized complete block design, and key agronomic indicators including yield, emergence rate, aboveground biomass and pod size were recorded.
Following harvest, fresh pods were stored at 4±1°C and 85±5% RH, and shelf life was monitored over two weeks by assessing color deterioration and edamame harvest quality index (EHQI). Significant differences were observed among the tested cultivars, with ‘Chiba Green’, ‘Goo’ and ‘BeSweet 2001’ exhibiting superior performance in yield and pod size.
Cultivars ‘KAS 355-11’ and ‘Sayamusume’ demonstrated postharvest stability, maintaining pod quality for up to 15 days under refrigerated storage, whereas other cultivars showed rapid deterioration within six days.
These findings demonstrate that the potential of growing edamame in subtropical climates and underscore the critical role of cultivar selection in achieving both strong field performance and extended shelf life.
This work lays the foundation for advancing research and fostering the successful adoption of edamame in South Florida.
Authors
Y.K. Myrtil, V.R. Lacerda, X. Li
Keywords
Glycine max (L.) Merril, edamame, growth indices, pod quality
Online Articles (42)