Registration of ‘UA Mulberry’ Vegetable Soybean Cultivar

Abstract

There is increasing demand for improved vegetable soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (edamame) cultivars for commercial production in the United States. Edamame can either be harvested immature at the R6 growth stage or after maturity (R8 stage). Edamame seed coats can turn black at maturity, and the seed can be marketed as a roasted product. The experimental edamame line R09‐345, from the University of Arkansas, was selected from a F4 population derived from a cross of R01‐3597F and V96‐7198. R09‐345 has been released as ‘UA Mulberry’ (Reg. No. CV‐530, PI 688606). It is a conventional, late maturity group V (relative maturity 5.8) vegetable soybean line with purple flowers, tawny pubescence, and tan pod walls. It is being released because of its large seed size and black seed coat, which are suitable for roasted production when mature. In addition, UA Mulberry has competitive yield potential compared with previously released edamame cultivars from the University of Arkansas and Virginia. UA Mulberry is resistant to sudden death syndrome and frogeye leaf spot and moderately resistant to stem canker. It is susceptible to soybean cyst nematode (races 2, 5, and 14), root knot nematode, and reniform nematode. UA Mulberry is also sensitive to high salt concentrations in soil. The competitive yield of UA Mulberry meets the edamame industry standards, and the black seed coat provides an additional category of products (black dry soynuts).