2020 Soybean Rescue?

[TwinCitiesPanda]

As a rule, soybeans do not need very wide spacing for seed saving. I generally use 20-30' between varieties, but can space them as close as 10' apart if they are in different Maturity Groups & have other flowering crops between them. I try to separate group 0 or Group I varieties, with a Group 000 variety between, since they will usually begin flowering at different times. I also try not to grow two varieties of the same seed color, and/or flower color, in adjacent locations... so if a cross occurs, I can catch it quickly. Like common beans, soybean flowers are usually either white or purple - and very small. I've seen bees working the flowers, but with the measures mentioned above, crossing has been uncommon.

Sounds doable then. I have a lot of space, I can certainly accommodate that distancing. I’m already growing Midori Giant Edamame.

 

[Zeedman]

I’m already growing Midori Giant Edamame.

I believe that is the same as Sapporo Midori, which I grow... the "giant" probably refers to the large seed size. Sapporo Midori is Maturity Group 00, which would have no problem maturing in your area. If my hunch is correct, that helps me to decide which other varieties are best grown in its vicinity.

 

[flowerbug]

Not wanting to hijack Russ's thread...

Soybeans are not as glamorous as beans, and not as many gardeners have a use for them... but I try to offer a wide selection (68 accessions at present) to other gardeners who are interested. Some are edamame. Others are intended for processing into soy milk, tofu, or other products - and there are few commercial sources for non-GM processing soybeans. Most of my soybeans came from the collection of Robert Lobitz, who in turn had obtained them from the USDA; they hale from many different nations.

The problem is that my collection is getting perilously old. Several very wet years - two of which broke consecutive records for precipitation - caused crop failures, or prevented planting entirely. As a result, I have lost so much ground that I may not be able to replenish seed stocks before they die in storage. These are the varieties currently at risk:

Name Grown Seed color Maturity Protein/oil Comment
Group (dry %)
(MatGrp)
Aan Tu Bai Hua Lu Da Dou 2015 green w/green cotyl. I 50/18 high protein
An,dunscaja 2015 brown w/black saddle I 46/18 high yield
Bei 77-6177 2016 yellow 000 40/20 edamame/process, my highest yield in MatGrp
Bei Liang 11 2016 yellow 00 43/17 limited qty
Besarabka 724 2014 yellow I 44/19 high yield
Crest 2010 yellow 00 43/20
DV 2371 2012 brown/black striped I 46/19 high yield
Fledderjohn 2014 brown I? edamame
Gardensoy 12 2014 yellow I edamame
GL 2216/84 2016 green 000 57/14 very high protein
Grande 2015 yellow 0 38/20 my highest yield in MatGrp
Grignon 17 2017 buff 0 44/18 low inventory
Grignon 18 2016 red-brown 0 low inventory
Hatsutaka 2016 green I 40/18 high-yield edamame
Hei Pi Qing Rang 2012 black w/green cotyl I 45/18
Hokkaido Black 2013 black 0?
Jaune de Desme 2015 yellow 00 47/16
Jewel 2014 yellow w/black saddle II 37/22 high oil
Karikachi 3 2016 green I 40/18 edamame
Kharkovskaya Zernokormovaya 2016 gray 00 53/16 very high protein
Kosodiguri Extra Early 2012 green 000 51/15 very early edamame
Krasnoarmejscaja 2012 gray I 47/16
Manitoba Brown 2016 brown 00 43/17
Musan-1 2012 grn-brn w/black saddle I 53/17 very high protein
Ogemaw 2013 brown 00 44/17
Ohozyu 2012 yellow II 38/22 high oil
Oosodefuri 2016 green I 40/19 edamame/very low
Pando 2012 green 000 52/15 very early edamame
PI 194626 2016 yellow w/brown mottling 00 40/18 large seed, possible edamame
PI 194635 2014 gray 00 46/17
PI 291291 2015 yellow w/brown saddle I 48/18
PI 427088 I 2012 red-brown II 44/17 high yield
PI 437524 2016 green-brown I 47/14 high yield
PI 522192 A 2016 black 0 41/16
PI 603698 E 2013 yel-green to gray-green I 48/17
Rouest 117 2014 black 0 37/21 fairly high yield
Sapporo Midori 2015 green 00 40/18 edamame
Selection No. 505 2016 black I 41/14 tiny seeds/semi-wild
Sioux 2016 green 000 52/15
Soja Brun Hatif U486 2016 brown 00 46/17
St. Ita 2013 green 0? early edamame?
SY 9514014 2015 black 0 50/18
T239 2012 yellow w/tan saddle II
Ta Li Tsao Shen Wu Tou 2012 black 000 51/15
Tai Xing Hei Dou 2016 black 0 47/16
Tengamine 2015 green I 40/19 high-yield edamame
Tokio Vert 2015 yel-grn w/brn mottling I very high yield
Ugra Saja 2015 red-brown 000 43/20
VIR 1501-40 2012 gray I 43/19 high yield
Wielnska Brunatna 2015 brown 000 43/17
Yi Tong Lu Da Dou 2016 gray-green w/mottling I 43/17 high yield
Zolta z Zolna 2016 yellow 00 45/17 my highest yield in MatGrp

I will try to post some photos soon.

The table didn't transfer well, which is the reason the columns wander a bit. The bizarre thing is that I spaced columns manually after the transfer - and they still show that way when I edit - but all extra spaces are eliminated when I save. Which undoes about 15 minutes of work... Any advice for fixing this jumbled mess is welcome. Is there a way to set tabs?

The protein & soy percentages are from USDA GRIN data for those accessions. The soybean Maturity Groups are relative maturity; 000 is the earliest (up into lower Canada) followed by 00, 0, then Roman numerals I, II, III, etc (up to X, which is tropical). Each successive Group is 10 days later than the one before. Because soybeans are photo-period sensitive, the actual maturity will vary depending upon latitude. As a rough frame of reference, here at 44 degrees North latitude, Group 000 will be about 90% dry for me in 90 days plus or minus. So Group 00 would be dry in about 100, Group 0 in 110, etc. My location is borderline for Group II (130+) which can be hit or miss, depending upon my frost date.

TEG has a vibrant seed-saving community, so I'm hoping that we can start a soybean preservation project. If anyone is able to grow a soybean or two, I would be grateful for the help. I would send the variety(s) of your choice, and ask that you return seed to me at season's end. If there is interest, I would be happy to post further info. Places that once offered heirloom soybeans retail (Victory Seeds, Synergy Seeds) are dropping or reducing their offerings, and I may be one of the only sources left; so I hope to get some of these into other hands.

i can try a few each year but i can't promise results with the creatures we have here. knowing that you usually have large amounts of seeds it may be worth a shot. sign me up for 2021. i'm all booked for this season. repost a new thread in the winter when we're all sitting around waiting for the winter to end. pictures. pictures...

i will be trying the one you shared with me at the seed swap so if those do ok i can have some fresh seeds from those in reserve.