A potential $100 a tonne premium for grain growers is just one advantage of the ‘pearl’, or mutabilis, lupin, an ancient crop cultivated by the indigenous peoples of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

According to Jon Clements, of the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA), mutabilis had up to one third more protein and up to three times more oil than the narrow leafed lupin.

“Mutabilis oil is high in unsaturated fatty acids, low in erucic acid and compares favourably to canola oil, while protein quality would suit stock and aquaculture feed,” he noted.

Supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Dr Clements and Dr Mark Sweetingham, of the Western Australia Department of Agriculture, are trialling mutabilis to determine its suitability for southern Australian environments.