‘Ganghan’ is a high-yielding soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) cultivar developed for improved shattering resistance and suitability for mechanized harvesting. It was bred through pedigree selection after an artificial cross between ‘Taeseon’ (female parent) and ‘Cheonga’ (male parent) in 2015. ‘Ganghan’ is a determinate type with an average main stem length of 65 cm and first pod height of 19.6 cm, which is favorable for mechanical harvesting. Compared to the control cultivar ‘Daewonkong,’ it showed stronger lodging tolerance and carried a genetic allele associated with pod shattering resistance. In disease resistance evaluations, it exhibited higher resistance than ‘Daewonkong’ to soybean mosaic virus (G6H), bacterial pustule, and black root rot. Regarding seed quality, it contained 38.8% protein, 17.6% oil, 86.1% unsaturated fatty acids, and 3,124 μg/g total isoflavones. The tofu yield was 232%, with mechanical properties and color comparable to ‘Daewonkong.’ In fermentation processing tests, ‘Ganghan’ recorded a γ-PGA content of 11.4 mg/g and amino nitrogen content of 390 mg%, indicating potential use in traditional fermented soy foods. In regional yield trials (RYT) conducted across 10 locations from 2020 to 2022, ‘Ganghan’ had an average yield of 3.58 tons/ha, 14% higher than that of ‘Daewonkong’. The adoption and expansion of ‘Ganghan’ is expected to contribute to increased domestic soybean productivity, harvest efficiency, and cultivation stability under changing climate conditions, thereby improving the domestic soybean self-sufficiency rate (Registration No. 10459).

A black soybean cultivar ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was developed by Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services. ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was selected from a cross between ‘RCS640’ and ‘Geomjeongsaeol’ in 2011. The cultivar was evaluated in multiple performance and yield trials in seven locations from 2017 to 2019. ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ has a gray pubescence, light brown pod, and dark green cotyledon, whereas ‘Cheongja 3’ has a brown pubescence, brown pod, and light green cotyledon. The seed weight and maturity of ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was similar to that of ‘Chungja 3’. ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was resistant to soybean mosaic virus (strain G6H), moderately resistant to bacterial pustule (caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines), and resistant to root rot. Total chlorophyll content (sum of chlorophyll a and b) in the green cotyledon of ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was 48.0 μg/g, which was higher than that of ‘Cheongja 3’ (30.1 μg/g). The regional yield trial showed that ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ had a similar or significantly higher average yield than ‘Chungja 3’ in locations with single (similar) and double (19% higher) cropping systems, respectively. ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ represents a consumer-friendly black soybean with dark green cotyledons and high yield potential (Registration No. 9065).

A black soybean cultivar, “Saebaram” with green cotyledons, was developed and released by the Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services (GBARS) in 2019. It was developed from a single cross between “Seonheuk” and “RCS640” in 2011. The preliminary yield trial and advanced yield trial were conducted at GBARS from 2015 to 2016. The regional yield trial (RYT) was conducted in seven locations from 2017 to 2019 in Korea. “Saebaram” had purple flowers, grey pubescence, light brown pods, a black seed coat, an ellipse seed shape, and a large seed size (42.8 g/100 seeds). The seed size was significantly larger than that of the check cultivar “Cheongja 3” (36.2 g/100 seeds). Moreover, it was moderately resistant to bacterial pustule (caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines) and soybean mosaic virus (strain G6H). “Saebaram” had dark green cotyledons, whereas “Cheongja 3” had light green cotyledons. The total chlorophyll contents (chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b) in the green cotyledons of “Saebaram” and “Cheongja 3” were 76.1 μg/g and 30.1 μg/g, respectively. Furthermore, the RYT showed that “Saebaram” had 287 kg/10a, which was 10% higher than that of “Cheongja 3” (261 kg/10a). This black soybean cultivar with improved yield, large-size seeds, and dark green cotyledons is expected to have a high commercial value for Korean farmers (Registration No. 9155).