Recipient Organization
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
PETERSBURG,VA 23803
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This project aims to diversify and increase the production and availability ofhigh-quality green seeds for direct human consumption in the mid-Atlantic region of the UnitedStates. Consumption of common bean green shelled seeds is already common in several countriesin Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. Commercial production of dry beans is nonexistentin the mid-Atlantic region. Green seeds from dry beans have great potential to enhanceeconomic sustainability and competitiveness of small and medium-sized farms and diversify thecropping system in Virginia and other states of the mid-Atlantic region. We will study productionof green shell beans and green seeds from six classes of dry beans that are currently grown in theU.S.: Pinto, Navy, Great Northern, Dark Red Kidney, Black, and Cranberry. We will characterizeyields of green seeds, their nutritional composition, and consumer acceptability. Three varietiesfrom each six classes of beans (18 varieties total) will be grown in replicated trials at universityfarms in Petersburg (Virginia), Painter (Virginia), and Georgetown (Delaware) during first twoyears. During the third year, one selected variety from each bean class will be grown at three farmer field locations (two in Virginia and one in Delaware) to demonstrate mechanical harvestingand shelling to farmers and consumers and to provide large samples of green seeds for initialmarketing. We will also conduct consumer sensory tests with green seeds to determine theiracceptability and compare their nutritional quality with green peas, lima beans, and Edamame.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
We propose to develop/establish a new crop industry for small medium-sized farmers based on green shell beans in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. The green shell beans are physiologically mature beans harvested from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Our overall goal is to promote a new and sustainable source of income for small and mid-sized farmers and to expand the current portfolio of high quality and nutritious non-GMO succulent legume seeds for direct human consumption. Our objectives are to characterize yield of green shell beans and physiologically mature seeds from Pinto, Navy, Great Northern, Dark Red Kidney, Black, and Cranberry beans; assess nutritional and antinutritional quality and consumer acceptability of physiologically mature seeds from Pinto, Navy, Great Northern, Dark Red Kidney, Black and Cranberry beans; familiarize farmers with production of green shell beans, their harvesting and processing to obtain physiologically mature seeds; and develop a sustainable postharvest technique to reduce spoilage of green shell beans.
Project Methods
Eighteen varieties (there varieties each of six dry bean classes - Pinto, Navy, Great Northern, Dark Red Kidney, Black, and Cranberry beans) during May-June of each year will be evaluated in replicated field trials during each of the three years.Data will be recorded on pod yield per acre, green seed yield per acre, average green seed weight, shelling percentage and other agronomic traits (plant height, days to 50% flowering, days to physiological maturity, plant age in days to harvesting as green shell beans, degree days to harvesting as green beans, etc.) from 5-10 feet length of the middle row. We plan to harvest green shell beans approximately in the middle of September at physiological maturity stage, which is similar to harvesting stage corresponding to edamame known as R6 stage of growth in soybean.The plants left in the field after harvest of green shell beans will be allowed to mature and harvested as dry seed to record additional data.We will develop a relationship between Growing Degree Days and chronological age of plants with physiological maturity of green shell beans.Immediately upon harvest, green shell beans data will be recorded and green shell beans will be shelled to obtain green seeds, which will be blanched and stored for nutritional analyses (chemical composition - proteins, lipids, aches, moisture, and carbohydrates - and Vitamin E) and sensory evaluation. Green seeds from all plots will be analyzed for nutritional quality (protein, fiber, sugars, oil and fatty acids, etc.) and anti-nutritional traits (Phytic acid, trypsin inhibitor, etc.). We will compare our results to the data available in literature for other green seeds (e.g., green peas, lima beans, edamame).We will analyze chemical composition (moisture, total ash, protein and lipid content) of the green seeds from Pinto, Navy, Great Northern, Dark Red Kidney, Black, and Cranberry beans (18 varieties total) will be determined at Virginia Tech's Food Science and Technology Laboratory. Total carbohydrates will be calculated by difference. Megazyme's phytic acid test kits will be purchased and used for the measurement and analysis of phytic acid/total phosphorus. We will follow the method reported by Kakade et al. (1974) to determine trypsin inhibitor activity. Samples will be analyzed in triplicate. Results will be analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparisons will be made using Tukey's HSD test with 5% significance level.Research involving human subjects will start after study protocols are approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Virginia Tech. Sensory evaluation tests will be performed each year at Virginia Tech's Sensory Evaluation Laboratory to assess consumer acceptability of green seeds of selected varieties of Pinto, Navy, Great Northern, Dark Red Kidney, Black, and Cranberry beans. Samples of the green seeds will be identified using 3-digit codes and served in a monadic random order to minimize bias. Sensory evaluation data will be collected using Compusense® Cloud. Sensory participants will be untrained adult volunteers (50 ≤ N ≤ 100) and they will be asked to use a traditional 9-point hedonic scale (1 = "dislike extremely"; 5 = "neither like nor dislike"; 9 = "like extremely") to evaluate overall liking of the (cooked) beans. In addition, participants will be asked to answer a check-all-that-apply (CATA) question that contains sensory descriptors associated with green legumes (e.g., beany flavor, bitter, sour, sweet, salty, umami), which will be used to better understand sensory characteristics affecting liking scores. The outcomes of the sensory panels will support the identification and selection of green seeds from dry beans with sensory characteristics that are valued by consumers and have similar or higher acceptability than other green legume seeds consumed in the U.S.Based on the results from years 1 and 2, large plots will be planted with one selected variety of each of the six crops (two rows of each variety approximately 200 to 300 feet long) at three farmer fields (one each near VSU, Virginia Tech (Painter, VA) and University of Delaware to harvest green shell beans mechanically. These plots will be planted in rows 4-ft apart to facilitate mechanical harvesting. These plantings will also provide large samples of green seeds for evaluations and initial marketing.We will demonstrate mechanical harvesting of green shell beans andshelling of the green shell beans to obtain physiologically mature seeds. These equipment items will be demonstrated at harvest on farmer fields during the third year.We will treat green beans with two doses of pulsed light (0 as control and 11.9 J/cm2) to control postharvest pathogens that my attack the green beans. The pulse light treatments will be performed with a RS-3000B Steripulse-XL system whichgenerates high intensity pulsed light at a pulse rate of 3 pulses per second and a pulse width of 360 μs. Each pulse delivers 1.27 J/cm2 for an input of 3800 V at 1.9 cm from the quartz window surface of the lamp. To perform the pulse light treatments, four representative green beans from each replicated plot (18 varieties x 4 replications = 72 samples x 4 pods from each sample = 288 beans) will be treated during each of the three years. Beans will be put on a sterile glass tray and placed on a stainless steel shelf in the PL unit at 10 cm distance from the quartz window of the lamp. Variations in radiation dose absorption will be minimized by placing the samples within a uniform area of the radiation field (beneath the lamp and around the central point). Samples will be exposed to irradiation for 10 s, corresponding to fluences of 11.9 J/cm2, respectively. Beans will be irradiated on one side and then they will be turned upside down on another sterile tray and treated during the same period of time on the opposite side and kept at 4 C for two days to give the pathogens a chance to grow. Postharvest decay incidence will be assessed by visually recording the presence or absence of fungal development before and after treatment and storage for 2 days. Results will be expressed as percentage of infected beans.It is expected that follow-up studies will be conducted to further study use of PL in larger quantities of green beans.