2012 Annual Report for GS12-118
Increasing Fresh Virginia-Grown Edamame Supply through Season Extension Techniques
Summary
Lack of long-term, local supply has become a barrier to successfully meeting market demands of edamame in the U.S. A delay to extend harvest beyond its very narrow field harvest window of only a few days leads to poor quality edamame. There is very limited information available on strategies for extending edamame production though seasonal techniques in Virginia.
Objectives/Performance Targets
To increase fresh Virginia-grown edamame supply by building up an off-season production system and to identify edamame varieties that optimize yield in multiple growing seasons
Accomplishments/Milestones
The harvest window was extended from July 3rd to Oct 18th, 75 days earlier than the harvest season without using season extension techniques.
Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes
For August harvest, all varieties produced poor yield. Therefore, there is need for studies to increase edamame yield in August