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Background: Vegetable soybean is rich in nutrients and has a unique flavor. It is highly preferred by people because of its pharmacological activities, including those that regulate the intestines and lower blood pressure. The pod color of vegetable soybeans is an important quality that indicates their freshness and has a significant impact on their commercialization. Results: In this study, pod color was evaluated in 301 vegetable soybean accessions collected from various regions. Genome-wide association analysis was carried out using the Mixed linear model (MLM), a total of 18 quantitative trait loci including 117 SNPs were detected. Two significant QTLs located on chromosomes 6 (qGPCL4 /qGPCa1/qGPCb2) and 18 (qGPCL10/qGPCb3) were consistently detected across different variables. Based on gene functional annotation, 30 candidate genes were identified in these two candidate intervals. Combined with transcriptome analysis, Glyma.18g241700 has been identified as a candidate gene for regulating pod color in vegetable soybeans. Glyma.18g241700 encodes a chlorophyll photosystem I subunit XI. which localizes to the chloroplast named GmPsaL, qRT-PCR analysis showed that GmPsaL was specifically highly expressed in developing pods. Furthermore, overexpression of GmPsaL in transgenetic Arabidopsis plants produced dark green pods. Conclusions: These findings may be useful for clarifying the genetic basis of the pod color of vegetable soybeans. The identified candidate genes may be useful for the genetic improvement of the appearance quality of vegetable soybeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vegetable soybean is an important vegetable crop in world. Seed size and soluble sugar content are considered crucial indicators of quality in vegetable soybean, and there is a lack of clarity on the molecular basis of grain quality in vegetable soybean. Results: In this context, we performed a comprehensive comparative transcriptome analysis of seeds between a high-sucrose content and large-grain variety (Zhenong 6, ZN6) and a low-sucrose content and small-grain variety (Williams 82, W82) at three developmental stages, i.e. stage R5 (Beginning Seed), stage R6 (Full Seed), and stage R7 (Beginning Maturity). The transcriptome analysis showed that 17,107 and 13,571 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in ZN6 at R6 (vs. R5) and R7 (vs. R6), respectively, whereas 16,203 and 16,032 were detected in W82. Gene expression pattern and DEGs functional enrichment proposed genotype-specific biological processes during seed development. The genes participating in soluble sugar biosynthesis such as FKGP were overexpressed in ZN6, whereas those responsible for lipid and protein metabolism such as ALDH3 were more enhanced in W82, exhibiting different dry material accumulation between two genotypes. Furthermore, hormone-associated transcriptional factors involved in seed size regulation such as BEH4 were overrepresented in ZN6, exhibiting different seed size regulation processes between two genotypes. Conclusions: Herein, we not only discovered the differential expression of genes encoding metabolic enzymes involved in seed composition, but also identified a type of hormone-associated transcriptional factors overexpressed in ZN6, which may regulate seed size and soluble content. This study provides new insights into the underlying causes of differences in the soybean metabolites and appearance, and suggests that genetic data can be used to improve its appearance and textural quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important crops globally, serving as a primary source of protein and oil for both human consumption and animal feed. Chlorophyll is crucial for photosynthesis and plays a significant role in the growth and development of soybean plants. Chlorophylls are one of the main metabolites responsible for the color of foliage and fruits, particularly when they are still unripe. The spectral properties of chlorophylls are essential in harvesting light energy and in the transduction of absorbed light energy for photosynthesis. Like other plants, the variation of the leaf color as well as photosynthetic activity in soybean, is dependent on chlorophyll concentration. Chlorophyll content affects nutritional deficits, stress, and photosynthetic capacity of the plant per unit area of the leaf. This paper investigates the relationship between chlorophyll contents and soybean yield, considering various factors such as photosynthetic efficiency, plant health, and environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable soybean (Glycine max), known as edamame, has a high nutritional and market value. It is a relatively new crop in North America and Africa. The amino acid profile is important for the nutritional quality of edamame, and a challenge facing its genetic improvement is evaluating its amino acids rapidly. To explore a drying method suitable for the fast evaluation of edamame nutritional profiles, fresh seed samples of 20 soybean genotypes were dried using freeze, low- and high-heat drying methods, and their amino acid contents were analyzed by near-infrared reflectance (NIR) technology. Three-year results indicated that there were significant differences between the years of samplings and among genotypes for all amino acids. Significant differences existed between the drying methods for most amino acids except for leucine and the total amino acid. Low-heat drying at 65 °C and freeze drying showed similar results and were highly comparable to each other for ANOVA and repeatability estimation. The estimates of repeatability under the individual drying methods were 73–94%, except for tryptophan, cysteine and methionine; meanwhile, higher estimates (85–99%) were computed using the combined data of all three drying methods, with few exceptions. Two sulfur-containing amino acids were showed to be more sensitive to high temperature than the others. Six genotypes exhibited higher contents of all the 18 major amino acids and are recommended to be used for the nutritional quality improvement of edamame and other food-grade specialty soybeans. In conclusion, the low-heat drying method can serve as an alternative to freeze drying, and can be used in the large-scale drying of fresh edamame and in the evaluation of seed amino acids in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to screen high-yield and high-quality vegetable soybean varieties suitable for strawberry rotation in greenhouse, and alleviate the problem of strawberry sitting together. Four fresh vegetable soybean varieties, Zaofuwa, Sanqingyudou, Kaikeyuan No. 5 and Lujiangjun, were introduced to carry out comparative experiments to analyze their differences in agronomic characteristics and yield performance. Results showed that, the growth period of Zaofuwa, Sanqingyudou, Kaikeyuan No. 5 vegetable soybean varieties in Jinan was less than 80 days, and the yield per unit area was 9 533. 70-10 279. 20 kg / hm 2 . They showed early maturity, could be picked normally, and were suitable for rotation with strawberry. The growth period of Lujiangjun was 96 days, which was too long for rotation with strawberry. According to their agronomic characteristics and yield performance, Zaofuwa, Sanqingyudou, Kaikeyuan No. 5 will be suitable for rotation cultivation of strawberries after harvest in strawberry greenhouse, especially Sanqingyudou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aroma is an important economic trait of vegetable soybeans, which greatly influences their market value. The 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) is considered as an important substance affecting the aroma of plants. Although the 2AP synthesis pathway has been resolved, the differences of the 2AP synthesis in the aromatic and non-aromatic vegetable soybeans are unknown. In this study, a broad targeted metabolome analysis including measurement of metabolites levels and gene expression levels was performed to reveal pathways of aroma formation in the two developmental stages of vegetable soybean grains [35 (S5) and 40 (S6) days after anthesis] of the 'Zhexian No. 8' (ZX8, non-aromatic) and ZK1754 (aromatic). The results showed that the differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) of the two varieties can be classified into nine main categories including flavonoids, lipids, amino acids and derivatives, saccharides and alcohols, organic acids, nucleotides and derivatives, phenolic acids, alkaloids and vitamin, which mainly contributed to their phenotypic differences. Furthermore, in combination with the 2AP synthesis pathway, the differences of amino acids and derivatives were mainly involved in the 2AP synthesis. Furthermore, 2AP precursors' analysis revealed that the accumulation of 2AP mainly occurred from 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C), not 4-aminobutyraldehyde (GABald). The quantitative RT-PCR showed that the associated synthetic genes were 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (P5CDH), ∆1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR), which further verified the synthetic pathway of 2AP. Furthermore, the betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (GmBADH2) mutant was not only vital for the occurrence of 2AP, but also for the synthesis of 4-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in vegetable soybean. Therefore, the differences of 2AP accumulation in aromatic and non-aromatic vegetable soybeans have been revealed, and it also provides an important theoretical basis for aromatic vegetable soybean breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), a sub-family of aquaporins (AQPs), are known to play important roles in plant abiotic stress responses. However, evidence for the promoters of TIPs involvement in abiotic stress processes remains scarce. In this study, the promoter of the vegetable soybean GmTIP1;6 gene, which had the highest similarity to TIP1-type AQPs from other plants, was cloned. Expression pattern analyses indicated that the GmTIP1;6 gene was dramatically induced by drought, salt, abscisic acid (ABA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) stimuli. Promoter analyses revealed that the GmTIP1;6 promoter contained drought, ABA, and MeJA cis-acting elements. Histochemical staining of the GmTIP1;6 promoter in transgenic Arabidopsis corroborated that it was strongly expressed in the vascular bundles of leaves, stems, and roots. Beta-glucuronidase (GUS) activity assays showed that the activities of the GmTIP1;6 promoter were enhanced by different concentrations of polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000), NaCl, ABA, and MEJA treatments. Integrating these results revealed that the GmTIP1;6 promoter could be applied for improving the tolerance to abiotic stresses of the transgenic plants by promoting the expression of vegetable soybean AQPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edamame is a vegetable soybean (Glycine max) with high nutritional and market value. It is mainly grown in Asia and has expanded to North America and Africa. Freeze and low- and high-heat drying methods were used to dry fresh edamame seeds of 20 soybean lines and cultivars for analysis of their composition using near-infrared reflectance (NIR) technology. The results indicated that significant differences existed between years of samplings for all seed composition traits investigated. Differences between drying methods were significant for all the traits with whole-seed samples, while they were not significant in protein, raffinose and linoleic acid for flour samples. Ground flour and whole-seed samples were similar or comparable in most cases for freeze and low-heat drying methods, but differences in seed composition between sample types were observed for high-heat drying. Among the traits investigated, protein content was the most consistent for all three drying methods, with an over 91% estimate of repeatability, showing high stability during drying. Oil content also showed a repeatability estimate of over 86% for all three drying methods. Low-heat drying generated results more comparable to freeze drying, while high-heat drying exhibited larger differences in most cases. Estimates of repeatability and correlation coefficients further confirmed that, low-heat drying, similar to freeze drying, was appropriate for drying fresh edamame seeds, but high-heat drying was not. Therefore, low-heat drying is a suitable method for drying fresh edamame and rapid analysis of seed composition, and it can be used as an alternative of freeze-drying method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total soluble sugar (TSS) is an important component in vegetable soybean seeds during the R6 stage and greatly impacts fresh soybean flavor. Increasing the TSS content is thus one of the most important breeding objectives for the creation of high-quality vegetable soybean germplasm. To better understand the genetic basis of the TSS at the R6 stage, we investigated 264 germplasm accessions in two environments. We obtained five associations with 27 significant SNPs using GWAS. The significant SNPs S15_10810881–S15_10843821 and S06_12044239–S06_12048607 were identified in both environments. We then conducted candidate gene analysis and uncovered nine candidate genes as potential regulators of TSS content in vegetable soybean seeds using RT-PCR. These genes may be involved in the regulation of soluble sugar content in soybean seeds. This study provides new knowledge for the understanding of the genetic basis of TSS at the R6 stage and will help improve regulation of TSS in vegetable soybean using molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the accumulation of crude oil (triacylglycerides, monoacylglycerides, diacylglycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids, tocopherols, pigments, sterols, waxes) in soybean vegetable samples. Samples were taken from two groups: grown in an experimental field and in protected ground of the Federal Scientific Center for Vegetable Growing in the Moscow Region. Both groups were observed in the phase of technical ripeness and in the phase of complete biological ripeness (finally ripe seeds). Soxhlet method as arbitration in analysis was used as suitable for the extraction of lipophilic substances. It was determined that the fat content in the technical ripeness phase in most soybean samples averaged 10.5%. In the phase of biological ripeness, the highest accumulation of fatty oil was observed in Hidaka and Nordic (17.6%). The oil content in vegetable forms of soybeans was consistently lower than that of grain varieties: in the phases of technical and biological ripeness by 55.6% and 22.0% (in relative values) respectively. Thus, he accumulation of oil in seeds is determined mainly genetically. The refractive index of vegetable and oil soybean was established equal on average 1.4755. According to this finding the soybean oil can be classified as semi-drying. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used to study the lipophilic components of soybean fatty oil. It was found experimentally that the best separation of the components is achieved using an eluent system: carbon tetrachloride: chloroform in a 2: 3 ratio. It was found that the main fat-soluble compounds are the following (in order of increasing Rf in the chromatogram): phospholipids, monoacylglycerides, triacylglycerides, tocopherols, fatty acid esters. As a finding of the research vegetable soybean cultivated at 55 °N in both technical and biological ripeness phases significantly accumulate crude oil in the seeds. This crude oil contained ω-6, ω-3, phospholipids, and vitamin E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Edamame is a vegetable soybean (Glycine max) rich in protein with well‐balanced amino acid profiles, including all the essential amino acids. It is also relatively high in oil consisting of five fatty acids. In this study, fatty and amino acid contents in oven‐dried edamame and mature seeds in 54 genotypes were analyzed to help edamame breeding and relevant research. RESULTS: Significant differences (P < 0.01) between dried edamame and mature soybeans were found for all traits, suggesting that the contents of seed fatty and amino acids varied with drying method and/or growth stage. The genotypic effects were significant for amino acids in all cases and mostly for fatty acids. Fatty acid content was more variable than amino acids in both edamame and mature soybeans. The broad‐sense heritability estimates of traits in mature soybeans (51.89–90.37%) were larger than those in edamame seeds (13.10–81.83%), and the estimates for amino acids were larger than those for fatty acids. Correlations between the two edamame drying methods or between the edamame and mature soybeans were significant for all fatty and amino acids with few exceptions, and the correlation coefficients for amino acids (0.36–0.89) were larger than those for fatty acids (0.29–0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Selection for both fatty and amino acids in edamame seems less effective than that in mature soybeans, and the improvement of amino acids would be more achievable than fatty acid improvement. Indirect selection through mature soybeans may benefit the edamame improvement for most of the amino acids. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Edamame, a vegetable soybean (Glycine max) grown mainly in Asia, has high nutritional and market value and is a relatively new crop to North America. By 2 years of field trials, we evaluated the seed composition traits in 54 genotypes to analyze the differences and relationship between edamame seeds dried by two oven‐drying methods and mature soybeans. RESULTS: The genotypic differences were significant for all the traits investigated. Significant differences also existed between the two sets of dried edamame and mature seeds. Protein content in mature soybean averaged 426.8 g kg−1, and 432.8 g kg−1 and 405.6 g kg−1 for shelled‐dried and unshelled‐dried edamame respectively. Oil content in shelled‐dried and unshelled‐dried edamame averaged 206.3 g kg−1 and 212.6 g kg−1 respectively, and 195.8 g kg−1 for mature soybean. Sucrose content in mature soybean (60.2 g kg−1) was approximately 1.5 and 3 times that of unshelled‐dried and shelled‐dried edamame respectively. Mature soybean also exhibited the highest concentrations of stachyose and total sugars, followed by unshelled‐dried and shelled‐dried edamame. The broad‐sense heritability estimates of traits in mature soybean (49.41–89.16%) were higher than those of edamame (10.26–78.96%). Higher broad‐sense heritability was uncovered for protein and oil, but lower estimates for sugars, fiber, and ash. Positive correlations were detected between the two sets of edamame seeds and mature soybean for protein and oil (r = 0.63–0.88). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that indirect selection through mature seeds is helpful for the improvement of protein and oil in edamame, whereas the improvement of seed sugars in edamame is more challenging. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field and pot experiments were conducted to select and identify the characteristics of potassium (K) high efficiency vegetable soybean genotypes. Forty genotypes under two potassium application levels (0, 120 kg ha−1 K2SO4) showed variations in K concentration, K accumulation, K internal use efficiency (KIUE) and K harvest index (KHI) in field experiment conducted in 2016. According to the distinct KIUE for yield (KIUE-Y) and KHI, two K high efficiency (KHE) genotypes (T117, L113) and two K low efficiency (KLE) genotypes (DZ1, ZX8) were used in pot experiment with two K levels (0, 120 kg ha−1 K2SO4) in 2017 for further investigation. Results indicated that KIUE-Y was significantly correlated with harvest index (HI) and KHI. Both K and dry matter (DW) were optimally distributed in the seed of KHE genotypes. In contrast, more DW and K were accumulated in vegetative organs of KLE genotypes, which was the main reason limiting K efficiency. Under K deficiency, KHE genotypes better regulate their DW and K distribution, and have higher specific leaf weight with unaffected leaf area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012, the first domestic commercial edamame processing plant was established in Arkansas and edamame production was contracted out to local growers. Although the state is a major soybean producer, studies of nematode effects on edamame are limited. A survey of nematode genera and density in 64 contracted edamame production fields was conducted in 2013 and 2014. In both years, Meloidogyne and Heterodera were present in less than half of the surveyed fields while Pratylenchus was the most prevalent in 2013 and Helicotylenchus in 2014. A microplot study was conducted in 2014 in two locations to evaluate the effects of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita, race 3) and soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines, HG type 2.5.7) on plant growth, yield and food quality components of edamame. Yield was the most consistent factor influenced by nematode pressure with increasing nematode population densities resulting in suppressed pod and seed weight. Additionally, seed protein content was reduced in the highest tested population density of H. glycines. In greenhouse studies, 22 advanced edamame breeding lines from the University of Arkansas soybean breeding program were compared with two susceptible commercial cultivars for suitability as hosts for both M. incognita and H. glycines independently. Four lines showed consistent reductions in M. incognita reproduction relative to the commercial cultivars and could represent sources of moderate resistance for development of future root-knot nematode resistant edamame cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to screen soybean rhizobium with strong nitrogen fixation ability for vegetable soybean with different salt tolerance,ten Soybean Rhizobium strains （NGR234,HH103,B16,N18,USDA110,USDA122,CB1809,ACCC15067,AS1.826,and AS1.909）were selected and used in the study with vegetable soybean salt-tolerant varieties LvLingBaHao Symbiotic matching of salt-sensitive cultivar RiBenQing.The results showed that there was no significant difference in the overground biomass between LvLingBaHao-USDA122 combination and the inoculation of USDA110,the fresh weight of nodules had no significant difference with the inoculation of N18,USDA110 and AS1.826,and the total nitrogen content of plants had no significant difference with the inoculation of HH103,but they were significantly higher than other combinations.The number of nodules,the fresh weight of nodules,the activity of nodules dinitrogenase and the total nitrogen content in plants of RiBenQing-HH103 combination were significantly higher than those of other combinations,but there was no significant difference in the overground biomass between RiBenQing-HH103 combination and USDA110 inoculation.In order to accurately evaluate the nitrogen fixation ability of each strain and two vegetable soybean varieties,a comprehensive evaluation method was adopted in this study.The results showed that the symbiotic nitrogen fixation ability of each strain and LvLingBaHao from strong to weak was：USDA122>AS1.826>H103,USDA110>N18>AS1.909>ACCC15067,NGR234>B16,CB1809,the symbiotic nitrogen fixation ability with RiBenQing was HH103>USDA110>N18>USDA122,NGR234>AS1.909>B16>ACCC15067,AS1.8>CB1809.Those results showed that there were significant differences in nodule and nitrogen fixation ability among different Soybean Rhizobium strains.The salt-tolerant cultivar LvLingBaHao and USDA122 had stronger nodule and nitrogen fixation ability,while the salt-sensitive cultivar RiBenQing and HH103 had stronger nodule and nitrogen fixation ability. In addition,the comprehensive evaluation method introduced in this study can also provide a reference for the study of symbiotic matching between soybean and rhizobium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The StP5CS (GenBank accession number: JN606861) T6 homozygous transgenic lines (HTLs) of vegetable soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] were grown using vermiculite pot culture to determine whether StP5CS overexpression would enhance nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in two T6 HTLs (17W-1, 17W-2) under drought conditions. The growth performance, nodule development and seed weight of T6 HTLs were significantly better than those of wild type (WT) plants. The proline levels in various tissues of T6 HTLs were higher than WT plants. The concentrations of total ureide, total N, leghemoglobin (Lb) and the activity of glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) in the T6 HTLs were significantly increased. Moreover, the relative expression levels of five key nodulation- and SNF-associated genes (i.e., GmENOD40-1, GmENOD40-2, GmLba, GmGS1β1 and GmGS1β2) were significantly higher in T6 HTLs. In conclusion, overexpression of StP5CS enhances nodulation and SNF in transgenic vegetable soybean under drought stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edamame is a vegetable or specialty soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) with high nutrition and market value. The market demand for edamame has significantly increased in the United States since its health and nutritional benefits became recognized. However, there are a limited number of domestically developed or improved edamame cultivars in the United States, and the knowledge of edamame is very limited. In this study, 86 breeding lines and cultivars of maturity group (MG) V and VI developed in the United States were evaluated in replicated field trials for edamame yield and agronomic traits in Virginia in 2015 and 2016. The results indicated that there were significant differences among the genotypes and between years in all the traits investigated (plant height, fresh biomass, pod yield, pod ratio, fresh seed yield, seed ratio, and 100-seed weights), but the yearly differences for dried 100-seed weight and dried-to-fresh ratio of seeds were insignificant. Genotype-by-year interaction effects were not significant in most cases. Estimates of the broad sense heritability varied with traits, from 23% to 88%. Coefficients of phenotypic and genotypic correlation were mostly low, but fresh pod and seed yields were highly correlated. Fresh biomass exhibited a positive phenotypic correlation with pod and seed yields, but the genotypic correlation coefficients were not significant. Twelve breeding lines were preliminarily identified to have greater edamame yield and desired traits. The information generated in this study will be helpful for edamame breeding and commercial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a quartz sand culture, comparisons were made between the T5 homozygous transgenic lines (HTLs) that overexpress StP5CS (GenBank accession number: JN606861) and their wild-type (WT) host cultivar to examine the differences in the growth and development traits, the concentrations of proline in vegetable soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] under salt stress conditions. Moreover, the relative expression levels of two glutamine synthetase-related genes (GmGS1α1, GmGS1α2), two nodulation-related genes (GmENOD40-1, GmENOD40-2), and one leghemoglobin gene (GmLba) were also measured. The purpose of this research was to provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the mechanisms of nodulation and nitrogen fixation in the roots of transgenic plants under salt stress conditions. Compared with WT plants, the plant height and seed weight per plant of T5 HTLs significantly increased, and the contents of proline in various tissues of T5 HTLs were also significantly elevated. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that the expression levels of GmGS1α1, GmGS1α2, GmENOD40-1, GmENOD40-2, and GmLba were significantly increased in T5 HTLs under salt stress conditions. These results indicate that the overexpression of StP5CS in T5 HTLs enhanced growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixation in transgenic vegetable soybean under salt stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The edible quality of vegetable soybean is significantly associated with the number and type of metabolites. In the present study, metabolites in new vegetable soybean variety Mindou 6 at 49 to 67 days after flowering was investigated using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The results showed that a total of 102 metabolites were identified from the vegetable soybean seeds, including 36 organic acids (35.3%), 21 amino acids, 11 polyols, 9 sugars, 7 phosphoric acids, 5 amines, 4 fatty acids, 4 nucleotides, and 5 other components. The principal component analysis indicated that the metabolites of amino acids, organic acids and sugars were greatly related to the quality of the vegetable soybean at the filling stages. A total of 40 differential metabolites were identified, including 14 amino acids, 13 organic acids and 2 sugars, and were found to be mainly involved in the metabolism of glycolysis, amino acids and phenylpropanoid. We systematically analyzed the change in the contents of metabolites in the developmental seeds of Mindou 6 and its effects on seed nutrition and eating quality. The suitable picking time was determined by combining the fresh pod yield and appearance quality. Taken together, these results can provide a theoretical reference for vegetable soybean breeding for high quality and efficient production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined the level of phytonutrients in mungbean and soybean sprouts compared to mature mungbean grain and vegetable soybean. The comparison included landraces and improved mungbean and soybean varieties to assess the effect of breeding on the phytonutrient content of both crops. Sprouting mungbean enhanced vitamin C content 2.7-fold compared to mature mungbean grain. Relatively old mungbean accessions were superior in protein, calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), carotenoid and vitamin C content compared to improved mungbean lines at the fully mature stage. With regard to nutritional value, the vegetable soybean stage was superior to soybean sprouts in terms of content of protein (14% increase), Zn (45%), Ca (72%), and Fe (151%). Isoflavones, reported to have beneficial effects on human health, are found at high concentrations in soybean sprouts and could easily provide the recommended anticarcinogenic dose range from 1.5 to 2.0 mg/kg of body weight per day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the physiological mechanism of potassium (K) application in enhancing sugar content of vegetable soybean seeds, pot experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 with two vegetable soybean ( Glycine max L. Merr.) cultivars (c.v. Zhongkemaodou 1 and c.v. 121) under normal rate of nitrogen and phosphorus application. Three potassium (K) fertilization treatments were imposed: No K application (K0), 120 kg KSO ha at seeding (K1), and 120 kg KSO ha at seedling + 1% KSO foliar application at flowering (K2). Contents of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellins (GA), cytokinins (ZR) and abscisic acid (ABA) in seeds were determined from 4 to 8 weeks after flowering. K fertilization increased the contents of IAA, GA, ZR, soluble sugar, sucrose and fresh pod yield, but reduced ABA content consistently. When the contents of soluble sugar and sucrose reached the highest level at 7 weeks after flowering for the 2 cultivars, the contents of IAA、GA、ZR all reached the lowest level in general. The content of ABA in seed was negatively correlated with the sucrose content ( P < 0.01, r = −0.749**, −0.768** in 2014 and −0.535**, −0.791** in 2015 for c.v.121 and c.v. Zhongkemaodou 1 respectively). The changes in ratio of the ABA to (IAA + GA + ZR) from 4 to 8 weeks after flowering affected by K application were coincident to the changes of sucrose accumulation. The reduced ratio of ABA/(IAA + GA + ZR) affected by K nutrition particularly reduced abscisic acid content plays a critical role in enhancing sucrose content, which might be a partial mechanism involved in K nutrition to improve the quality of vegetable soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was undertaken to investigate the interaction between varieties and soil environments. The experiments were conducted using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at two different locations representing two different soil types. The locations were; the mineral soil of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Glasshouse experimental field and the beach ridges interspersed swales (BRIS) soil of Institute Oceanography and Maritime Studies Research Station (IRS) Kuantan, Pahang. The analysis of variance revealed that location contributed significantly to the variations in the number of pod per plant. While, location had no significant effects on the pod yield, number of seeds per plant and plant height. Significant positive correlation was observed between number of pods and seeds per plant for both locations. Between varieties, variety 1 (AGS190) showed the highest marketable pod yield, number of pods and seeds per plant in both locations. The findings from this study could assist the soybean breeders in varietal development, improvement and selection programme in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planting date influences grain soybean yield and quality, but no information is available regarding the responses of seed chemical compositions to delayed planting date in vegetable soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Three vegetable soybean cultivars, CAS No.l, Tai 292, and 121, were planted on 3 May, 15 May, 27 May, and 8 June in the field during the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with three replications on a typical Mollisol (black soil). We found that late planting reduced fresh pod yield in all cultivars and years. The reduction in fresh pod yield to delayed planting was significantly correlated with the reduction in the number of two-seed pods per plant. Cultivars with strong capacity in retaining more two-seed pods may possess an advantage if planting is delayed. Planting after 15 May increased seed protein content by 4.1% to 7.5% and reduced oil content by 2.4% to 26.3% for different cultivars. The contents of free amino acid, sum of fructose and glucose, raffinose, and stachyose in seed were also increased by late planting. By contrast, late planting reduced the seed sucrose content ranging from 7.6% to 45.5% for the different cultivars. Planting on 3 May usually produced the greatest fresh pod yield and highest seed sucrose content. These results demonstrated that late planting after early May might have a negative impact on the eating quality of vegetable soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable soybean is fast becoming a popular nutritious snack outside South-Eastern countries where its consumption is in vogue since ages. Reports have appeared in the literature concerning the nutritional value of green seeds; however, the information on its antioxidative properties is lacking. In the present investigation, 16 vegetable-type soybeans were evaluated for antioxidant constituents and antioxidative properties at picking stage. Vitamin C, total phenolic content, and total isoflavone were significantly different among different genotypes with ranges of 34.8–88.7 mg/100 g seed, 0.68–1.39 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, and 8.6–33.2 mg/100 g, respectively. ‘Dada-cha 2000’ had the highest total isoflavone followed by ‘ASG328 Sricanan’. Genotypic differences were also observed for antioxidative properties viz. ferric reducing antioxidative power, free radical-scavenging activities, and β-carotene bleaching inhibition. ‘Dada-cha 2000’ showed the highest ferric reducing antioxidative power value (10.9μmoles/g), while ‘Kegone’ showed the lowest (3.95μmoles/g). ‘Dada-cha ma-me’, ‘Dada-cha 2000’, ‘ASG328 Sricanan’, and ‘ASG328 Kohine’ exhibited the highest free radical-scavenging activities. ‘AGS439’ and ‘Dada-cha ma-me’ exhibited the highest values for β-carotene bleaching inhibition followed by ‘ASG328 Sricanan’. Correlation studies revealed significant positive correlation of ferric reducing antioxidative power and free radical-scavenging activities with individual forms of isoflavones and total isoflavone content. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The volatile flavor profiles and sensory properties of different vegetable soybean varieties popularized and cultivated in China for 20, 10, and 2 years (TW292, X3, and SX6, respectively) were investigated. Nutrient composition analysis revealed that TW292 had a high soluble protein and soluble sugar content but low fat content. The total free amino acid content (15.43 mg/g) and umami free amino acid content (6.08 mg/g) of SX6 were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of the other varieties. An electronic tongue effectively differentiated between the umami and sweetness characteristics of the vegetable soybeans. Differences in sensory evaluation results were mainly reflected in texture and taste. A total of 41 volatile compounds were identified through HS-SPME-GC-MS, and the main flavor compounds were 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, (Z)-2-heptenal, 2-octene, nonanal, (Z)-2-decenal, and 3,5-octadien-2-one. However, the volatile composition of different vegetable soybean varieties exhibited large variability in type and relative contents. Considerable differences in nutritional, organoleptic, and aroma characteristics were found among different varieties. The results of this study will provide a good basis for the assessment and application of the major vegetable soybean varieties grown in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A comparative study was carried out to evaluate the composition of sugars, free amino acids and organic acids from vegetable soybean varieties via 1H NMR. [•] Vegetable soybean samples were effectively distinguished into four groups depending upon the principal component analysis. [•] The selection of the right vegetable soybean varieties could provide good sources of nutrients for nutraceutical applications in addition to possible quality control. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two cultivars contrasting in NaCl tolerance were used to investigate the possible involvement of polyamines in salt tolerant mechanisms in roots of vegetable soybean. 'Tianfeng', the salt tolerant cultivar exhibited overall higher contents of free, soluble conjugated and insoluble bound forms of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) except for free spermidine over the salt sensitive line during the course of NaCl treatment for 15 days. Consistent with this observation, arginine decarboxylase, the essential enzyme of polyamines biosynthesis and two enzymes catalyzing breakdown of polyamines were differentially regulated between the two cultivars. Antioxidant enzymes downstream to the polyamines signaling globally showed higher activity in 'Tianfeng', resulting in lower contents of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde subsequently. These results taken together indicate that higher levels of polyamines may be important in conferring enhanced salt tolerance in roots of vegetable soybean by activating antioxidant enzymes and, therefore, attenuating oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the effects of drying of immature seeds of vegetable soybean {Glycine max L. Merrill) on the accumulation of gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) in the seeds. GABA accumulated after heat-drying, with the maximum at 40°C. The GABA content (447.5 mg/100 g DW) increased to more than 5 times the value in untreated seeds (79.6 mg/100 g DW). In contrast, the glutamate content decreased rapidly to 1/3 the level in the untreated seeds. The GABA content increased early in the heat-drying treatment: after 30 min, it had increased to 1.5 times the value in the untreated seeds. GABA did not accumulate in the vacuum-drying treatment. Among genes related to the GABA shunt, the gene for glutamate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.15), which catalyzes the decarboxylation of glutamate to produce GABA, showed relatively high expression, decreasing to only 70% of the value in untreated seeds even after 4 h of treatment. In contrast, expression of the genes for two catabolic mitochondrial enzymes, GABA transaminase (GABA-T; EC 2.6.1.19) and succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH; EC 1.2.1.16), decreased rapidly during heat-drying. These results suggest that the accumulated GABA was not metabolized rapidly by GABA-T and SSADH and therefore remained at high levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Insects in vegetable soybean products pose potential hazard to consumers, thus making the food industry liable for economic losses. The objective of the current study is to develop a hyperspectral imaging technique for detecting insect-damaged vegetable soybeans. Hyperspectral transmission images were acquired from normal and insect-damaged vegetable soybeans over the spectral region between 400nm and 1000nm for 100 vegetable soybean pods (225 beans). Four statistical image features (minimum, maximum, mean, and standard deviation) were extracted from the images for classification and given as input to a discriminant classifier. The support vector data description (SVDD) classifier achieved 100% calibration accuracy. SVDD achieved 97.3% and 87.5% accuracies for normal and insect-damaged samples, respectively, with a 95.6% overall classification accuracy, for the investigated independent test samples. Therefore, the hyperspectral transmittance technique can discriminate insect-damaged vegetable soybeans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The associations of yield and its components offer important information in breeding plants. A study was conducted at the experimental field of the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok on 22 genotypes of the vegetable soybean to determine the association of yield and its components. The association was analyzed by correlation coefficient, and further subjected by path coefficient analysis to estimate direct and indirect effects of each character on pod yield. Positive and significant correlation were found between the plant height and number of marketable pods/plant (0.821""), plant height and marketable pod yield (0.520"), and number of marketable pods/plant and marketable pod yield (0.822""). Negative and significance was determined between the plant height and green pod weight (-0.620""), and number of marketable pods/plant and green pod weight (-0.588""). Direct effects of the number of marketable pods/plant and green pod weight on marketable pod yield were positive and significant with path coefficients of 1.310"" and 0.707"", respectively. Indirect effect of the plant height on marketable pod yield through its association with number of marketable pods/plant was positive and significant (1.075""). The results of this study suggested that the number of marketable pods/plant, green pod weight and plant height were important characters that should be taken into account as selection criteria in improving marketable pod yield of the vegetable soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously reported an association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 10 of GmBADH2 gene and fragrance in vegetable soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar Kaori. The SNP causes amino acid substitution in a highly conserved motif of GmBADH2 protein, which is necessary for functional activity of the protein. In this study, we sequenced GmBADH2 in another fragrant soybean cultivar Chamame and discovered a new fragrance allele, which has a 2-bp (TT) deletion in exon 10. The deletion causes a reading frame shift and introduces a premature stop codon, which could abolish protein function and result in fragrance. The old and new fragrance-promoting alleles were designated Gmbadh2- 1 and Gmbadh2- 2, respectively. A simple and co-dominant functional marker was developed for genotyping Gmbadh2- 2. The marker can discriminate between fragrant and non-fragrant soybeans and distinguish the two different fragrant soybeans, and thus is useful for routine genotyping for the fragrance trait in breeding programs. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping in an F population using Chamame as the fragrance donor revealed that the location of the fragrance QTL nearly coincided with that of the functional marker, confirming the association between GmBADH2 and fragrance in Chamame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable soybean differs from the conventional soybean in its distinct taste. Genetic variability has been scarcely investigated in vegetable soybean for taste-related compounds viz. sucrose, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, and isoflavones. In the present study, analysis of green seeds of 12 vegetable-type genotypes, between reproductive stages of R6 and R7 (i.e., when the pods were completely filled but the seeds and pods shell not yet turned yellow), revealed ranges of 1.28-7.12, 0.37-1.51, 0.64-2.82, 0.17-0.72, 0.11-0.51 g/100 g for sucrose, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine content, respectively, while a range of 8.64-33.19 mg/100 g was observed for total isoflavones content. Genotypes with high levels of sucrose, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and alanine scored high for taste. Results did not indicate any significant relationship between isoflavones content and the taste score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 2 figures and 4 tables Abstract Association mapping is a useful alternative to linkage mapping for the detection of marker-phenotype associations. The main objective of this study is to identify simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers associated with the vegetable soybean quality traits of 100-pod weight, 100-seed weight, sucrose content and free amino acid content. The four quality traits were evaluated in 323 soybean cultivar accessions from China, and the 323 accessions were genotyped with 101 SSR markers. Analysis of population structure revealed two subgroups in the population. The mean linkage disequilibrium (LD) value ( D′) for all statistically significant loci pairs was 0.258. The decay of the LD based on the D′ value showed little change with the increasing genetic distance between pairs. A total of 79 marker-trait associations related to the four traits were identified, involving 44 different SSR markers. According to the results, the association analysis approach in this study can be an effective method for quantitative trait loci mapping and can help breeders to develop new strategies for improving vegetable soybean quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition or 'hidden hunger' severely stunts human potential due to imbalanced diets and a lack of vital vitamins and minerals. Hunger and obesity are its extremes. Hardy, multipurpose legumes that can be used as vegetables or grains by smallholders or large enterprises and with multiple manufacturing uses have a vital role to play in overcoming growing malnutrition in South Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Population growth over the next 40 years will require a doubling of food production in developing countries and climate change will make achieving this goal more uncertain. Mungbean ( Vigna radiata (L.) Wilzcek) and vegetable soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merrill) can be consumed as highly nutritious vegetables or grains and are well suited to smallholder production under adverse climatic conditions. Both are well established in intensive cropping systems in Asia, but are little known elsewhere. Recent collaborative plant breeding efforts in Asia produced high yielding, disease-resistant mungbean varieties that mature synchronously in 60-65 days. This revolutionized the industry, allowing the crop to be added to smallholder rice/wheat rotations and leading to a major increase in global production Vegetable soybeans are larger and more nutritious than grain soybeans, but constitute less than 2% of global soybean production. Well known as fresh vegetables in East Asia, they are highly suited to smallholder agriculture or home gardens, producing among the highest yields of crop protein per unit area. More promotion and minor adaptive research can make these regional successes more widely available to help overcome malnutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pot culture experiment of nitrogen forms [nitrate (NO-3): ammonium (NH+4)] with four ratios (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75) in nutrient solutions was conducted to examine the effect of nitrogen forms on the growth and polyamine contents of developing seeds of vegetable soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. 'Li-xiang 95-1']. Results showed that the best plant growth vigor was observed in [image omitted] (75%), and then in [image omitted] (50%). However, the fresh and dry weight of biomass decreased when a high concentration of either [image omitted] (100%) or [image omitted] (75%) was the primary nitrogen source in the nutrient solution. The numbers of flowers and pods in [image omitted] (75%) were significantly decreased compared with other ammonium-nitrate ratios in which the numbers of flowers and pods were not influenced by nitrogen forms. During the development of seeds, levels of free Put and Spd decreased, and the decrease extents were more marked in 100:0 and 25:75 ([image omitted]:[image omitted]), but the change of free Spm was opposite. Levels of conjugated and bound polyamines in all nitrogen forms increased, but the increases in 75:25 and 50:50 ([image omitted]:[image omitted]) were not so obvious as in 100:0 and 25:75 ([image omitted]:[image omitted]) treatments. The possible roles of polyamines in the adaptive mechanism of vegetable soybean seeds to different nitrogen forms were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP), the volatile compound that provides the 'popcorn-like' aroma in a large variety of cereal and food products, is widely found in nature. Deficiency in amino aldehyde dehydrogenase (AMADH) was previously shown to be the likely cause of 2AP biosynthesis in rice ( Oryza sativa L.). In this study, the validity of this mechanism was investigated in soybeans ( Glycine max L.). An assay of AMADH activity in soybeans revealed that the aromatic soybean, which contains 2AP, also lacked AMADH enzyme activity. Two genes, GmAMADH1 and GmAMADH2, which are homologous to the rice Os2AP gene that encodes AMADH, were characterized. The transcription level of GmAMADH2 was lower in aromatic varieties than in nonaromatic varieties, whereas the expression of GmAMADH1 did not differ. A double nucleotide (TT) deletion was found in exon 10 of GmAMADH2 in all aromatic varieties. This variation caused a frame-shift mutation and a premature stop codon. Suppression of GmAMADH2 by introduction of a GmAMADH2-RNA i construct into the calli of the two nonaromatic wild-type varieties inhibited the synthesis of AMADH and induced the biosynthesis of 2AP. These results suggest that deficiency in the GmAMADH2 product, AMADH, plays a similar role in soybean as in rice, which is to promote 2AP biosynthesis. This phenomenon might be a conserved mechanism among plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Sangwon', a new cultivar for vegetable soybean, was developed from the cross between 'Keunolkong' and 'Oshimamidori', and was released at the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS) in 2007. The goal to develop a vegetable soybean cultivar with green pod, early maturity, large seed size, high yield, lodging tolerance, and resistance to disease such as soybean mosaic virus (SMV). 'Sangwon' has light green pod, early maturity, large seed, short plant height, and lodging tolerance. 'Sangwon' has determinate growth habit, white flower, gray pubescence, and oval leaf shape. The matured seeds have a yellow seed coat with light brown hilum, and a yellow cotyledon. 'Sangwon' has 5.8 cm fresh pod length, 13.2mm fresh pod width, 69.5 g seed weight per 100 green seeds, 44.0% green seed protein content, and 14.8% green seed oil content. At the regional yield trials (RYT) for vegetable soybean from 2005 to 2007, 'Sangwon' shows strong resistance to soybean mosaic virus (SMV) and tolerance to lodging in fields. Fresh pods of 'Sangwon' were harvested at the beginning of August. In the same tests, fresh pod of 'Sangwon' (10.39ton/ha) yielded 5% higher than 'Hwaeomputkong' (9.90ton/ha). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Vegetable soybean is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. because of its rich source of isoflavones, folic acid, and other nutrients. The objective of this study was to investigate various blanching and storage conditions in order to identify the proper post-harvest management strategy in preserving sugar composition of vegetable soybean during storage. Fresh soybean pods of two vegetable soybean genotypes were stored at 4 °C for 30 days or 25 °C for 8–12 days in fresh air or nitrogen atmosphere. Shelled seeds and intact pods were blanched in boiling water or steamed at 100 °C for 10 min. All blanched soybean was stored at −20 °C and sampled monthly for 6 months for sugar analysis. Glucose, fructose and sucrose decreased gradually in fresh soybean when stored at 4 °C in air or nitrogen atmosphere for 28 days. Soybean stored at 25 °C in open air showed a rapid decrease of sucrose in the first 24 h, and then followed by a gradual increase; whereas oligosaccharides accumulated significantly during storage. Significant degradation in all sugars was found in soybean stored in nitrogen atmosphere at 25 °C. Soluble sugars decreased from leaching during the water blanching and cooling treatment of vegetable soybean seeds. Steam blanching and the presence of pod effectively retained soluble sugars in vegetable soybean during thermal treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vegetable soybeans are marketed fresh or frozen, either shelled or in pods. The objective of this research was to characterise the change in quality attributes of vegetable soybean with boiling time (0–20 min), and presence/absence of pods, using an electrical-resistance stove or a steam-jacketed kettle. Trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), texture, colour, soluble sugars, nitrogen, calcium and iron content were analysed. Blanching using a steam-jacketed kettle for approximately 2 min rendered 80% inactivation of TIA, and resulted in high colour, texture and sucrose. There were no differences between blanching in pods or shelled for TIA, colour and texture; however, blanching in pods prevented losses of sucrose. Blanching did not affect iron, mono- and oligosaccharide levels, but increased nitrogen and calcium content. Additionally, we observed that all traits decreased linearly with cooking time when using an electrical-resistance stove, except for calcium and nitrogen that increased, and oligosaccharides that remained constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of salinity become severe when the soil is deficient in oxygen. Oxygation (using aerated water for subsurface drip irrigation of crop) could minimize the impact of salinity on plants under oxygen-limiting soil environments. Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of oxygation (12% air volume/volume of water) on vegetable soybean (moderately salt tolerant) and cotton (salt tolerant) in a salinized vertisol at 2, 8, 14, 20 dS/m ECe. In vegetable soybean, oxygation increased above ground biomass yield and water use efficiency (WUE) by 13% and 22%, respectively, compared with the control. Higher yield with oxygation was accompanied by greater plant height and stem diameter and reduced specific leaf area and leaf Na+ and Cl− concentrations. In cotton, oxygation increased lint yield and WUE by 18% and 16%, respectively, compared with the control, and was accompanied by greater canopy light interception, plant height and stem diameter. Oxygation also led to a greater rate of photosynthesis, higher relative water content in the leaf, reduced crop water stress index and lower leaf water potential. It did not, however, affect leaf Na+ or Cl− concentration. Oxygation invariably increased, whereas salinity reduced the K+ : Na+ ratio in the leaves of both species. Oxygation improved yield and WUE performance of salt tolerant and moderately tolerant crops under saline soil environments, and this may have a significant impact for irrigated agriculture where saline soils pose constraints to crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have evaluated vegetable soybean for sugar content at the green pod stage. Information on combining ability and type of gene action that governs inheritance of seed traits can help breeders to select suitable parents and devise an appropriate breeding strategy. Ten vegetable soybean accessions were crossed in a complete diallel mating design. Parent lines and F2 and F3 progenies were evaluated for two nutritional components. In this study, both general and specific combining ability and reciprocal effects were significant for sucrose and total sugar. Cultivars ‘Kanrich’, ‘Pella’, ‘Verde’ and V81-1603 had good general combining ability for high sucrose. In general, high sucrose content was observed in progeny of the early maturity group genotypes ‘Kanrich’, ‘Pella’ and ‘Verde’. The best combiners for high total sugar content were ‘Verde’, V81-1603 and PI 399055. These genotypes could serve as genetic sources in a vegetable soybean breeding programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some aspects of the preservation process of vegetable soybean are discussed in this paper. Factors, like the effects of blanching duration, and brine composition, were discussed in relation with the quality attributes of the product including enzyme activity, texture and colour. It was observed that the concentration of CaCl2 influenced the texture and luminosity (L), while the pH affected luminosity (L) and green colour (– a/ b) of the processed product. Furthermore, blanching for 90 s before heat-processing was effective to inactivate 99% of the initial lipoxygenase activity. It was found that a brine containing 150 g L−1 NaCl and 2.9 g L−1 CaCl2, at pH 6.5 that was thermally treated for 9 min generated a lethality of 4 min that is enough to produce a 12-log reduction required for low acid foods and at the same time retaining desirable colour and texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have evaluated vegetable soybean (Glycine max) for green pod yield components. Information on combining ability and the type of gene action that governs the inheritance of economically important quantitative characters can help breeders to select suitable parents and devise an appropriate breeding strategy. Ten vegetable soybean accessions were crossed in a complete diallel mating design. This study showed that estimates of both the combining ability (general and specific), and reciprocal variances were significant for plant height, hundred pod weight, and pod dimensions (pod length, pod width, and pod thickness). The performances of the parents for the green pod yield components studied were highly associated with their general combining ability effects. Four parents--'Kanrich', 'Pella', V81-1603, and PI 399055, were good general combiners for hundred pod weight and thus could be used in breeding programmes to develop genotypes with large pod size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to study the content and composition of isoflavones retained in soybean seed component, obtained each component part the embryo, cotyledon and seed coat tissues of nine different soybean varieties were analyzed for 12 isoflavones using high performance liquid chromatography with photo diode array detector (HPLC-PDA) and were compared to each other. A total average concentration of isoflavone was 2887μgg−1 in embryo, 575μgg−1 in whole seed, 325μgg−1 in cotyledon, and 33μgg−1 in seed coat. With respect to each tissue of soybean varieties, isoflavone content was highest in Geomjeongkong 2 embryo (5701μgg−1), Geomjeongolkong whole seed (1321μgg−1), Heugcheongkong cotyledon (951μgg−1), and Keunolkong seed coat (56μgg−1). Isoflavone was least present in Keunolkong embryo (341μgg−1), Hwaeomputkong whole seed (175μgg−1), Seonheukkong cotyledon (81μgg−1), and Seoklyangputkong seed coat (5μgg−1). Overall, embryo and seed coat of all nine varieties contained isoflavones at the highest and lowest level, respectively. Isoflavones accumulated in the order of malonylglycoside, glycoside, acetylglycoside, and aglycon, among which malonylglycoside was the most abundant form ranging from 66% to 79% of the total isoflavone content in all three tissues. The embryo of cooked-with-rice soybean with black seed coat appears to be the best source of isoflavone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Anthracnose of vegetable soybean sometimes occurs in summer and causes severe symptoms and yield loss in southern Taiwan. Despite previous reports that Glomerella glycines and Colletotrichum truncatum were causal agents of soybean anthracnose, C. truncatum and C. gloeosporioides (teleomorph G. cingulata), but not G. glycines, were identified as the major pathogens causing anthracnose on the pods and stems of vegetable soybeans from 2003 to 2005. Most strains of C. truncatum and C. gloeosporioides were derived from diseased pods. Morphological formation of fruiting bodies separates the Colletotrichum isolates into two groups. Colletotrichum truncatum forms acervuli only while C. gloeosporioides produces acervuli and/or perithecia. Based on the sequence variation in the ITS1 and ITS2 regions, C. truncatum isolates were highly similar (99–100% nucleotide identity) while C. gloeosporioides isolates diverged into two separate groups that were not associated with morphotype. For early detection of C. truncatum and C. gloeosporioides infection on vegetable soybean plants, two species-specific primer pairs Colg 1/Colg 2 (expected size of 443 bp) and Colg 1/CT 2 (375 bp) were designed that allowed differentiation of C. gloeosporioides and C. truncatum in multiplex polymerase chain reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Six commercial varieties of organically grown edamame-type soybeans were compared using consumer testing and descriptive analysis. In the affective tests, 54 panelists rated pods and beans for appearance, and beans for aroma, taste, texture, aftertaste, and overall acceptability on a nine-point hedonic scale and willingness to buy on a nine-point category scale. The taste of ‘Sayamusume’ was liked significantly better than all varieties except ‘Kenko’ and ‘Sapporo Midori’. ‘Kenko’ was also rated higher than ‘Sapporo Midori’, ‘Misono Green’, and ‘Early Hakucho’ for pod appearance. The texture of ‘Misono Green’ was liked less than that of all other varieties except ‘White Lion’. In the descriptive analysis, 10 trained panelists rated the beaniness, sweetness, nuttiness, and chewiness of the same six varieties. ‘Kenko’ was rated significantly sweeter than all other varieties except ‘Sapporo Midori’. ‘White Lion’ was rated as significantly lower in chewiness than all other varieties. Beaniness and nuttiness could not be consistently differentiated among varieties. The data suggest that consumer liking of bean taste varies, though subtly, among these six commercial edamame varieties and that preferences may differ between men and women. Results from descriptive analysis also suggest that panelists relied on texture (i.e., chewiness) and sweetness to differentiate edamame varieties. These results are particularly important in overall product quality management strategies as chewiness and sweetness may be influenced by production practices and harvest timing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two separate consumer-marketing studies were conducted between 30 Oct. and 2 Dec. 2002 to determine consumer awareness and potential demand for edamame [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]. The first study consisted of a sensory evaluation that included 113 participants who tasted and rated three edamame cultivars based on firmness and overall appeal and then ranked the beans in order of preference at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park Campus. To estimate demand, the participants answered questions regarding their likelihood to purchase edamame after the sensory evaluation. The second study, a telephone survey, was administered by a marketing firm to determine consumer awareness of edamame as well as their produce purchasing habits. Responses were collected from 401 consumers within the Metro-Philadelphia area. Consumer reaction to the sensory evaluation was positive, and after reading about the health benefits, a majority of consumers (92%) indicated they would likely purchase edamame and serve it in a meal whereas 89% gave this response after only sampling the edamame beans. When responses were compared among cultivars, overall liking for 'Green Legend' (6.29; 1 = extremely dislike; 9 = like extremely) was significantly lower than for 'Kenko' (6.84); however, neither cultivar was significantly different from 'Early Hakucho' (6.62). Participants also rated 'Kenko' as having a firmness that was 'just about right'. Verbal comments from participants leaving the evaluation site included interest in purchasing edamame and inquiries as to where it could be purchased in the vicinity of the university. Telephone survey participants also expressed a willingness to purchase edamame and serve it in a meal after hearing about the potential health benefits (66%). Based on consumer responses to selected telephone survey questions, three distinct marketing segments were created. Potential purchasers (58% of participants), consisted of consumers who were more likely to consider the importance of the nutritional content of vegetables they purchased (73%), included the greatest percent of consumers who had purchased soy or soy-based products (70%), and were very likely (51%) and somewhat likely (46%) to eat edamame after learning about the health benefits. The second largest segment of participants characterized as unlikely edamame eaters (22% of participants) consisted of individuals who were very likely (20%) and somewhat likely (43%) to purchase vegetables they had never eaten before if evidence suggested that it might decrease the risk of cancer and/or other diseases. However, within this group, none of the participants were either very likely or somewhat likely to eat edamame after being told about the health benefits. The last group, characterized as requires convincing (20% of participants), consisted of individuals who were the least likely to base produce-purchasing decisions on the nutritional content of vegetables. After learning about health benefits specific to edamame, 8% of these participants were very likely and 48% were somewhat likely to eat edamame. Hence, separate marketing strategies may need to be developed to target these distinct segments based on interest in eating edamame, importance of nutritional information, and current vegetable purchasing habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable soybeans (VSB) are harvested over a short period of the year as they are in the immature state outside that period. Freezing and storing, after blanching, constitute a possible method to commercialize vegetable soybeans. In this study, blanching conditions of vegetable soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] were determined, based on colour, texture, nutrient content, and sensory value. The sensory values (a seven-point scale) for the overall qualities of VSB blanched at 80 °C for 30 min, 90 °C for 20 min, and 100 °C for 10 min were 4.6, 5.0 and 5.2, respectively. These three conditions gave the highest sensory values at each temperature, and were used for further examination. The levels of greenness degradation at the three blanching conditions were similar. The loss of nutritive components including sugars, vitamins B1, B2, and C, were minimal at 100 °C for 10 min. Seed hardness values (gf), after blanching, were 469, 392, and 284, respectively, whereas that of the control was 576. Conclusively, blanching at a high temperature and short time is recommended. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]