Specialty Soybean Test—South

The purpose of this test was to evaluate experimental food-type soybean lines adapted to southern Iowa. Soybeans used in the 2000 specialty test included commodity yellow hilum, large-seeded high protein, small-seeded, and lipoxygenase-free experimental lines and, for comparison of agronomic traits, commercially grown varieties released by Iowa State University. Large-seeded, large-seeded high protein, small-seeded, and lipoxygenase free soybean varieties grown in Iowa are used to fill a niche in the food-bean market. Primarily these soybeans are exported to Japan, where large-seeded soybeans are used to make miso and are consumed as a vegetable; large-seeded high protein soybeans are used in tofu production; small-seeded soybeans are used to make natto. Lipoxygenase-free soybeans have less of the “beany” flavor associated with conventional varieties, a flavor trait desirable for some soybased foods, such as soy milk