Soybean Question

[Zeedman]

Just found this thread, so pardon my late entry.

I've had soybean volunteers in my garden... hundreds of them when conditions were to their liking, with a relatively warm, dry Spring. Only a few this year, when conditions have been just the opposite. Its been so wet this year that even much of the soybean seed I planted rotted in the ground, and I WAY overseed. Last year was much the same, I may resort to starting soybeans as transplants for backups (did a few varieties that way last year). That would require more greenhouse space than I presently have, but I've been wanting to buy a bigger greenhouse anyway.

About 10 years ago, I started about 20 soybean varieties as transplants, to compare their maturity to the same varieties direct seeded. There was very little gained by starting them early, averaging less than one day gained for each 2+ days started early. The transplants did exhibit an odd behavior though... they were very short & squat, compared to their direct seeded counterparts. The pod set on those plants was also remarkably dense, virtually covering the stems. That performance has been repeated several times since, including the transplants I used last year.

@digitS' if you need fresh seed for Bei, or would like to try other Group 000 soybeans, just let me know. I'd have to dig through my archives to see what I sent previously, unless you still have a list.

 

[digitS']

I'd better try them next winter on their germination rate. @Zeedman , I may be sending you a message hoping for fresh seed if they are indeed too old.

There were only 2 varieties that succeeded: I found the name of the Korean variety: GL 2216/84. I forget what I finally concluded, 50% of the Bei 77-6177 yield?? I just had to measure several feet of row by the foot and the weight. The GL were healthy and looked good, just far from being as productive. Remember, I was very new to edamame.

Soybeans of any type, including the volunteers, did very, very poorly in 2014.

Steve

 

[Zeedman]

GL 2216/64 has an exceptionally high protein content (over 50%) and is very early; but the trade-off for those traits is a low yield. To a point, I was able to compensate for that by sowing the relatively small plants at a higher density. The Bei, however, has a much better yield... your estimate of Bei being twice as productive is not far from the USDA yield data. Bei 77-6177 is the highest yielding early cultivar that I have grown, and has pretty decent flavor as edamame. There are two early bi-colored edamame cultivars, however, that you might want to try. They also have about twice the yield of GL 2216/84.

I can definitely relate to having a bad year for soybeans. My area has been experiencing cool, very wet Junes for three of the last four years. My rural garden is low & poorly drained, so beans in general - and pretty much any direct-seeded crop - have been a real challenge recently. Last year, it stayed wet so long that only my bean transplant backups allowed me to have a good harvest. This year has been even wetter, with rain in the forecast virtually every day... and I still have transplants waiting to get in the ground. Of the 20+ soybeans planned, many were completely drowned out, and only 8-10 will be successful. Soybeans are not the only losers, I may have to write off a couple sets of bean transplants, and my winter squash will need to be replaced by the faster-maturing acorn squash. My main snap beans for freezing have yet to be planted... I may really be pushing the envelope with those, if I can ever get them planted!

 

[digitS']

@Zeedman . You relating soy information and experience was a big PLUS to the several years of success I had.

Drowning of seed is very unlikely with the gravel I have to work with. These aren't the greatest pictures but notice this less-gravel, more-sand soil where I had a measure of soy-success, :

Early

Late

I've continued gardening just a few miles away from there where I claim that the soil is 50% glacial gravel. There is a fair amount of organic content plus clay. The sand content is unnoticeable.

BTW: green beans have always done well here. In fact, they are grown commercially on a few farms. My scheme is to pull out the peas in early July and replace them with most of the bush green beans I count on. We haven't had especially early frost and I have gotten away with this schedule in recent years.

Maybe that would work for you.

Steve

 

[Zeedman]

Those soybeans look really healthy, seems that they really liked that soil. The funny thing is, although soybeans need well-drained soil to germinate, they really like wet soil once they start growing. One of my best yields for soybeans (and cowpeas) was during a very wet year.

@digitS' I still have plenty of time to get in green beans; I've planted a pole variety (Emerite) twice over the 4th of July weekend, and had huge crops. The problem is that the majority of what I plant - about 80% - is being grown for seed, and those crops need most of my short season to mature. Got a big planting of Woods Mountain Crazy Beans in at home, if all else fails, I should be able to get both snaps & seeds from them.

You have pretty close to an ideal bean climate. Have you tried growing garbanzos? I grow a few, but my climate is a little warmer & wetter than they like, and I never get very much.

 

[digitS']

Yes ..

. but it was way back in the 70's.

I came to ask myself if they were really appropriate as a garden variety. Could there be pole types, something with a little production potential rather than the little, scruffy plants all but flat against the ground?

Steve