Domestication of azuki bean and soybean in Japan: From the insight of archeological and molecular evidence

Yu Takahashi; Hiroo Nasu; Seiji Nakayama; Norihiko Tomooka

doi:10.1270/jsbbs.22074

Domestication of azuki bean and soybean in Japan: From the insight of archeological and molecular evidence

Breed Sci. 2023 Apr;73(2):117-131. doi: 10.1270/jsbbs.22074. Epub 2023 Apr 27.

Authors

Yu Takahashi¹, Hiroo Nasu², Seiji Nakayama³, Norihiko Tomooka¹

Affiliations

¹ Research Center of Genetic Resources, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan.
² Faculty of Biosphere-Geosphere Science, Okayama University of Science, Okayama 700-0005, Japan.
³ Research Institute of Cultural Properties, Teikyo University, Fuefuki, Yamanashi 406-0032, Japan.

Abstract

Domestication of azuki bean and soybean has enabled them to acquire non-dormant seeds, non-shattering pods, and larger seed size. Seed remains of the Jomon period recently discovered at archeological sites in the Central Highlands of Japan (6,000-4,000 BP) suggest that the use of azuki bean and soybean and their increase in seed size began earlier in Japan than in China and Korea; molecular phylogenetic studies indicate that azuki bean and soybean originated in Japan. Recent identification of domestication genes indicate that the domestication traits of azuki bean and soybean were established by different mechanisms. Analyses of domestication related genes using DNA extracted from the seed remains would reveal further details about their domestication processes.

Keywords: azuki bean; domestication; soybean.