The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Green-Kernel Black Soybeans
The green-kernel black soybean is the black seed of the soybean, a plant in the Fabaceae family. It has a black seed coat, a green kernel, and a white hilum, with plump, round seeds. It is known as the “black pearl” and has very high nutritional value, with benefits such as anti-aging, improving eyesight and darkening hair, tonifying the kidney and spleen, and prolonging life. The product sells well in Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia and is in short supply, with very considerable economic returns. Now let us take a look together at the cultivation techniques for green-kernel black soybeans!
Variety Characteristics
The green-kernel black soybean is a medium-maturity variety with tall plants, strong branching ability, a well-developed root system, and steady, robust growth, making it quite spectacular. It is disease-resistant and lodging-resistant. It has strong pod-setting ability, with many pods and large seeds, 2 to 3 seeds per pod, and 4-seed pods accounting for more than 10 percent. The 100-seed weight of fresh beans is 82 to 88 grams, and the 100-seed weight of dry beans is 42 to 44 grams. The yield is high, generally about 200 kg of dry beans per mu, with high yields reaching more than 250 kg, and more than 900 kg of fresh edamame per mu. The seeds are oily black and shiny, and the inner kernel is emerald green and crystal clear. Especially when eaten as fresh edamame, it is more fragrant, has a better mouthfeel, and has a unique flavor.
Timely Sowing
1. Land selection and sowing: For green-kernel black soybean cultivation, it is advisable to choose plots with soil fertility above medium level that have not grown the same crop or a similar crop in succession. Apply 3000 kg of high-quality farmyard manure and 10 to 15 kg of compound fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer. Spring sowing is in early to mid-April, when the soil temperature at 5 cm below the surface should be 18 degrees C. In summer, it can also be sown after rapeseed harvest in the Yangtze River basin. In the wheat region north of the Yangtze River, sow immediately after wheat harvest, and ensure sowing is completed before mid-June.
2. Sowing density: Green-kernel black soybean plants are tall, so sparse sowing is suitable. For fields with medium fertility, sow 11,000 to 13,000 plants per mu in spring, and about 10,000 plants per mu for fields with high fertilizer and water levels. For summer sowing, sow 12,000 to 15,000 plants. For plots sown later or with poor soil fertility, sowing density should be increased to 18,000 to 20,000 plants per mu. Generally, row spacing is 30 to 40 cm, plant spacing is 20 to 25 cm, sow 2 to 3 seeds per hole, using 4 to 5 kg of seed.
Field Management
1. Transplanting seedlings to fill gaps: During green-kernel black soybean cultivation, for plots with generally missing plants, seedlings can be transplanted from nearby to fill the gaps. When transplanting, cover the soil firmly, and if soil moisture is low, water as well to ensure the survival rate. To enable the transplanted seedlings to grow quickly, after they survive transplanting, appropriately apply seedling fertilizer to promote uniform and strong seedlings. If the missing plants are severe, reseed directly.
2. Intertillage and weeding: For green-kernel black soybean, thin the seedlings when the 2 unifoliate leaves are flat and extended, and finalize the seedlings when the first compound leaf is fully extended. When thinning, remove weak plants, diseased plants, and mixed plants, and retain healthy, strong plants. The first intertillage is generally carried out when the first compound leaf appears and the cotyledons have not yet fallen, and the second intertillage is carried out when the seedlings are about 20 cm tall and the leaves have not yet closed the rows. The first intertillage should be shallow, and the second slightly deeper, combined with topdressing and earthing up.
3. Timely topdressing: For green-kernel black soybean, combine with plowing and apply 20 to 30 kg of NPK compound fertilizer and 2000 kg of farmyard manure per mu as base fertilizer. After emergence, check the seedlings promptly and reseed or transplant to fill gaps. When the plants are about 20 cm tall, apply 15 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer per mu. For summer sowing where no base fertilizer was applied, the topdressing amount should be increased.
4. Chemical control treatment: When green-kernel black soybean plants exceed 50 cm in height, for overly vigorous fields, spray 1 to 2 times with a 2000-fold dilution of 15% paclobutrazol powder to prevent excessive growth. At the early flowering stage, apply 10 kg of urea per mu and spray a solution of ammonium molybdate at a concentration of 0.01% to 0.05% to reduce pod shedding at the nodes, accelerate seed enlargement, and increase yield.
5. Disease and pest control: For green-kernel black soybean at the flowering and podding stage, when disease spots appear on more than 30% of the leaves, use 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 40% carbendazim suspension concentrate at 1.5 kg per hectare, mixed with 500 kg of water and sprayed, to control gray leaf spot. For aphids and red spiders, use 35% safen emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 to 1500 mL per hectare, or 10% imidacloprid at 1500 g, or 1.8% avermectin preparation at 150 mL, mixed with 500 kg of water and sprayed for control.