The two newly developed lupin varieties will demonstrate a leap forward for lupin growers
AGT has accelerated yield improvement by applying cutting edge DNA-based genomic selection at a level beyond any legume breeding in Australia in order to accelerate yield improvement. Lupin breeding at AGT keeps pace with wheat and barley breeding using advanced statistics and robotics.
The two newly developed lupin varieties will demonstrate a leap forward for lupin growers – offering wide adaptation, high and stable yields, low risk of pod shatter and seed splitting, metribuzin tolerance, and improved stem Phomopsis resistance.” The two new varieties each bring an exciting balance of traits to lupin growers. The two new Lupin varieties will be named and released in spring 2023.
Lupins play a significant role in supplying cropping systems with nitrogen and are well adapted to the sandy soils found in the Western Australian wheatbelt. WA accounts for more than 80% of lupin exports and is the world’s leading producer and exporter of lupins, so these variety releases are incredibly important for the farmers of Western Australia.
“We have been working hard on improving the lupin germplasm that we received from the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in 2016.” AGT CEO and Head of Breeding, Haydn Kuchel said.
“Plant breeding can be a slow process, but since we took over the Lupin breeding mantle. While using advanced genomics and breeding techniques, this year we took it a step further, fast-tracking the seed production of two distinct Lupin varieties over summer in southern WA. We plan on growing four generations of Lupins in just two years to make sure that WA growers have the best lupin varieties in their paddocks as soon as possible.
“AGT has always been committed to developing varieties that deliver greater returns to growers. These two new varieties, tested as AGTP0013 and AGTP0054, are exciting alternatives to what is currently available to lupin growers.”
In trials, AGTP0013 has shown itself best suited to northern and central WA and has slightly quicker maturity than PBA Jurien while AGTP0054 displays an advantage in southern growing regions of WA, being slightly slower maturing than PBA Jurien. Both have market leading yield potential and improved CMV resistance and stem Phomopsis resistance over PBA Jurien and Coyote respectively.
