Superior varieties of yellow lupin will allow Western Australian graingrowers to take advantage of a potential premium market.

A new GRDC project aims to develop breeding lines with improved aphid tolerance, better shatter resistance, greater disease resistance, more herbicide tolerance, increased protein and higher yield.

Yellow lupin has higher protein content and higher sulphur amino acids than narrow-leafed lupin and therefore has a premium grain status in the feed market, according to Department of Agriculture researcher Mark Sweetingham.

“Lower yield and susceptibility to aphids are the major obstacles to grower adoption of yellow lupin.

“The industry is also limited by available cultivars which are poorly adapted to maximise yield under dry Australian conditions.

“However, the GRDC project will help produce improved varieties enabling the crop to reach its potential and increase returns to growers,” Dr Sweetingham said.