Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Cultivation of vegetable soybean, also known as edamame, in the European region has shown significant growth in recent years. Northern Europe has also seen successful involvement, although Sweden has not yet started cultivation due to climatic conditions. To adopt successful edamame cultivation in Sweden with suitable high-yielding varieties and high-quality characteristics, an independent field trial was conducted in Skåne, southern Sweden, during 2020 to 2022. This study determined high-yielding varieties, assessed their quality, and analyzed their protein contents. The results demonstrated that true edamame cultivars gave very low yields, whereas standard soybean cultivars turned out to be a viable crop with high yield potential, similar to other European cultivations. The field trial showed that the standard soybean cultivars might potentially yield approx. 5 tons/ha. Sensory evaluation showed that ‘Livius’ performed best, although slightly lower than imported samples, whereas ‘Abaca’ had a higher protein content than the other cultivars. However, both taste and protein content were affected by harvest date, indicating the importance of determining the optimal harvest date. Consumer awareness and potential demand for edamame were assessed using a digital survey, which indicated that 90.9% of the participants were aware of edamame. Additionally, 49% of the participants found it important that the beans are locally grown, whereas 60% were highly concerned about the price of edamame. Finally, the study indicated that 60% of survey participants firmly believed that reducing meat consumption and increasing vegetarian intake is beneficial for the environment.