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Title: REGISTRATION OF MOON CAKE VEGETABLE SOYBEAN CULTIVAR

Author
item Devine, Thomas
item McMurtrey Iii, James
item MEBRAHTU, TADESSE - VIRGINIA STATE UNIV.
item Abney, Thomas
item Donald, Patricia
item STARNER, DAVID - VIRGINIA POLY. INST.
item HASHEM, FAWZY - U.MD. EASTERN SHORE
item DADSON, ROBERT - U.MD. EASTERN SHORE

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/23/2005
Publication Date: 6/20/2006
Citation: Devine, T.E., Mcmurtrey III, J.E., Mebrahtu, T., Abney, T.S., Donald, P.A., Starner, D.E., Hashem, F.M., Dadson, R.B. 2006. Registration of moon cake vegetable soybean cultivar. Crop Science. 46:1810-1811.

Interpretive Summary: Vegetable soybean is a high protein healthy food consumed for centuries in Asia as an important protein source. There is a rapidly growing market for organically produced vegetable soybean in the U.S. With organic production chemical herbicides cannot be used to control weeds. Most vegetable soybeans are short growing plants subject to competition from tall growing weeds. To overcome crop losses from weed competition, the USDA bred and released a new very tall cultivar, called Moon Cake, which grows to six feet in height - almost twice the height of most vegetable soybeans. Moon Cake soybean is used to produce the green vegetable seed known as edamame. Edamame is a tasty, nutritious vegetable that is versatile and easy to prepare. Edamame is low in fat and cholesterol and high in heart healthy benefits. Because of its very tall growth, Moon Cake is especially useful in competing with weeds in organic gardens and production fields, where chemical herbicides cannot be used. After harvest of the fresh green seeds as a vegetable, the rest of the plant is still green and can be fed to livestock such as goats, sheep and cattle. In this way, Moon Cake is especially valuable to small farmers with diversified farming operations. Moon Cake will benefit consumers of organically produced edamame by providing this tasty nutritious vegetable at lower cost to the public. This registration article describes the characteristics of Moon Cake vegetable soybean.

Technical Abstract: Moon Cake vegetable soybean was developed without genetic engineering and released by the Agricultural Research Service at Beltsville, MD. Moon Cake is a large-seeded maturity group V cultivar of tall height intended for use as edamame. Seeds weigh 27 g per 100. Moon Cake was derived from the cross OR5-12-1T X Disoy by selection for large seed size, tall plant growth, and lodging resistance. Seeds averaged 101mg/g of sucrose in tests at Virginia State University at Petersburg, VA. At Beltsville, MD, Moon Cake grew to 158 cm while Essex and Hutcheson grew to 76 and 80 cm, respectively. In 2001, Moon Cake produced 21 seed bearing nodes with 7 cm between nodes and yielded 3,144 kg ha-1 of dry grain while Essex yielded 4,112 kg ha-1 and Hutcheson yielded 3,729 kg ha-1. In 2003, Moon Cake yielded 4,455 kg ha-1 and Essex 4,335 kg ha-1 and Hutcheson 5,359 kg ha-1. At Petersburg, VA in 2004, Moon Cake yielded 1,393 kg ha-1 and Hutcheson 3,355 kg ha-1. At Orange, VA in 2004, Moon Cake yielded 3,695 kg ha-1 and Hutcheson 3158 kg ha-1. At Princess Anne, MD, in 2004 Moon Cake yielded 915 kg ha1 and Hutcheson 1,669 kg ha-1. At Jackson, TN, Moon Cake was susceptible to race 3 and race 14 of the soybean cyst nematode. In Indiana, Moon Cake was resistant to frogeye leafspot and was mildly susceptible to sudden death disease.