2023 Little Easy Bean Network - Beans Beyond The Colors Of A Rainbow

Zeedman

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More 2023 soybeans, I want to get them all in before this thread closes & the 2024 bean thread begins...

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"Kharkovskaya Zernokormovaya", grain type. From the USDA/ARS 2006, originally collected in Kharkiv, Ukraine. These are categorized by the NPGS as "gray" in color. An early variety, in the same Maturity Group as "Cha Kura Kake". Although the seeds are medium-small & the yield is only fair (just above "Cha Kura Kake") its protein content is extremely high - tested at up to 53.8% protein dry weight. I had hoped to test this variety for making tofu; but it too was hit hard by the seed corn flies, and only 4 plants survived. There are about 180 seeds per ounce, and those plants yielded a total of 4 ounces.

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"PI 194626", from the estate of Robert Lobitz 2006, originally from the USDA, developed in Sweden. This was originally only given a number by the developer (as is common for breeding projects) and I have no info on its usage; but it is early (Maturity Group 00, same as KZ above), large seeded, had very few single-seed pods, and had a yield typical of some of the better edamame cultivars. I sampled a couple plants for edamame, and they were good. As visible in the lower right of the last photo, mice had begun eating the seeds (they tear the pods open on the plants, rather than biting off & opening the pods like chipmunks) but fortunately I was able to harvest the plants before the damage became widespread - 18 ounces of seed.

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"Sioux", from the estate of Robert Lobitz 2006, originally from the USDA. This was actually collected from Hokkaido Japan as "Aoshiro eda mame", then renamed (or "developed") into "Sioux". A super-early edamame cultivar, with a very high protein content (~50% dry weight) but as is typical of most extra-early types, small seeds & a low yield. This was one of the few good surprises in soybeans this year... it vastly over-performed (given its poor germination test results) and produced a lot of seed in spite of strong weed pressure - 7 ounces, @ 130 seeds/ounce.
 

Zeedman

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@Zeedman didn't Robert Lobitz also do a lot with potatoes (and maybe tomatoes)? it seems that fact stuck in my brain...
I don't think so. Will Bonsall in Maine was the big curator of potatoes, along with quite a few things. He was SSE's largest collector & seed steward. Many of the seeds he offered (such as chick peas) have hardly been offered at all since he dropped out. Will had offered 25 chickpeas/garbanzos in 2005: there were NO chickpeas listed in the 2023 SSE Yearbook :(. He offered a large collection of favas as well.

There are & were a lot of SSE members who offered large numbers of tomatoes, many of whom offer nothing else. Bill Minkey & the late Martin Longseth in Wisconsin both offered large numbers of both beans & tomatoes.
 
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