Loading...
Citations
Altmetric:
Keywords
Date
1998-09-01
Collections
Files
Loading...
eopr-4161.pdf
Adobe PDF, 57.49 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
Crowley, J.G., Factors affecting the yield of winter lupins, End of Project Reports, Teagasc, 1998.
Abstract
The white lupin (Lupinus albus) is a temperate legume whose seed contains high
levels of protein (36-44%), oil (10-16%) and high quality dietary fibre in the dry
matter. Modern varieties contain extremely low levels of alkaloids (<0.01%) and
no anti-nutritional factors. Thus their composition is more similar to soya bean
than peas and beans, which contain much less protein (23-27%) and no oil.
Nitrogen fixation by autumn-sown, determinate varieties is large (ca. 300 kg/ha)
and harvest index for nitrogen is high (more than 85% of the crop N is recovered
in the grain). Lupins also have the ability to release phosphorus and iron from
mineral sources in the soil. These two characteristics make the winter lupin crop
an ideal choice as a low input alternative crop, particularly in nitrogen-sensitive
areas.
Attempts to introduce spring-sown lupins have failed, mainly due to low yield
potential, poor yield stability and late harvest. The release of the first winterhardy
determinate varieties by French breeders in 1994 promised the first real
chance of success. The successful introduction of lupins offers the possibility of
reducing soya bean imports and replacing it with a high-quality, home-grown
protein source, with the added advantage of traceability.
Autumn-sown lupins are capable of producing satisfactory yields (3.7-4.5 t/ha).
The crop does require careful management, i.e. early sowing (by mid-September),
at the correct seed rate (100 kg/ha), into well-structured free-draining soil and
with a pH below 7. Sown in early September, the crop will mature from late
August to mid-September.