Esperance, Western Australia
June 27, 2007
To help boost their
underperforming lupins, Esperance growers should consider
Quilinock* due to its high level of resistance to black pod
syndrome (BPS), where lupin pods brown or blacken prematurely
and produce poorly developed seeds.
According to GRDC supported
research, Quilinock is a superior performing variety where BPS
is prevalent.
Department of Agriculture
and Food Western Australia researcher, Dr Peter White said
lupins in Western Australia’s southern agricultural regions had
a reputation for yielding less than half their potential four
tonnes per hectare.
BPS may contribute to these low and variable yields on the south
coast.
Several lupin genotypes are resistant to BPS, but Quilinock is
more resistant than Mandelup* and Tallerack.
A new line identified in the trials, WALAN2224, had good
resistance to BPS and yielded higher than Quilinock .
It will be released as a new variety at Esperance Downs Research
Station in September and will be available for planting in 2008.
It is likely to replace Quilinock and Mandelup in south coastal
areas prone to BPS.
In the GRDC supported trials near Gibson, north of Esperance,
Tallerack and Mandelup plants blackened at podding two to five
times more than Quilinock and WALAN2224.
Tallerack yielded the lowest and Mandelup the second lowest at
all trial sites and fewer Tallerack and Mandelup plants than
Quilinock survived to maturity. WALAN2224 yielded the highest.
BPS does not appear to be caused by hormone application or
excessive vegetative growth, which leads to subsequent poor pod
set and low harvest index.
There is probably more than one cause of BPS and while there is
some relationship between pod number and the disease, further
research might explain if pod number differences are a cause or
a consequence of BPS.
The high yields and low level of blackening seen for the
genotypes in this trial reflects results from 2004 to 2006 CVT
trials.
*Varieties protected
under the Plant Breeders Rights Act 1994. |
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