Australia
December 2, 2022
A lupin variety setting a new yield benchmark for the Eastern states has been released by Australia’s largest field crop breeder, Australian Grain Technologies.
Launched at Baker Seed Co.’s annual field day on 21st October, Lawler is the first lupin variety released by AGT specifically for NSW and Victoria.
Southern New South Wales is Australia’s second largest Lupin growing region after Western Australia, producing around 85,000 tonne annually; equating to around 13% of Australia’s lupin production. Although small in comparison to WA, lupins are the most widely grown pulse crop in southern NSW and considered an important tool in the rotation, where they thrive in the regions lower pH soils.
James Whiteley, AGT’s Manager of Variety Support for Southern NSW, can see an expansion of lupin growing in the region into the future.
“Lupins are a fantastic break crop after a succession of cereals, allowing the use of different herbicides for weed control, breaking the life cycle of many diseases, and importantly, fixing nitrogen in the soil to be used by future crops. With the elevated fertiliser prices that we are seeing currently,
I can see a larger swing into pulses for this reason alone”.
In NVT trials, Lawler has consistently yielded well across all NSW, Victorian and South Australian lupin growing regions. In fact, across the 2021 NVT trials, Lawler was the highest yielding variety across the majority of regions.
According to AGT Lupin Breeder Matt Aubert, this data, along with an improved disease package, makes Lawler the ideal narrow leaf lupin to grow in the east.
AGT Lupin Breeder Matt Aubert with new variety Lawler
“In environments where sheep graze lupin stubble over the summer, and where the risk of stem phomopsis is high, Lawler offers improved resistance compared to Coyote and similar to Wonga and PBA Barlock. Lawler also has improved tolerance to pod shattering and Metribuzin herbicide”.
Limited commercial quantities of Lawler seed will be available for the 2023 season through AGT Affiliates and local retailers.
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