Grains Research and Development Corporation: The Crop Doctor

Andromeda* albus lupin, released last year, boasts improved resistance to anthracnose and tolerance to most herbicides.

A Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) supported project has assessed the herbicide tolerance of Andromeda*.

On average, Western Australian growers annually deliver 700,000 tonnes of all lupin types.

Albus lupin is projected to have potential across 50,000 hectares in Western Australia.

Production peaked at 30,000 hectares in 1995, before anthracnose arrived.

GRDC supported Department of Agriculture and Food researcher, Dr Harmohinder Dhammu said Andromeda* had good tolerance to herbicides commonly used on lupins.

Andromeda* showed better tolerance to metribuzin and its mixtures with other herbicides than the older albus lupin variety, Kiev mutant.

However, applying metribuzin at 112 grams of the active ingredient per hectare, caused moderate to severe leaf burning in both varieties, resulting in a 15 - 35 per cent biomass reduction at flowering.

Increasing metribuzin application rates to 187 grams per hectare intensified leaf burning symptoms and drastically reduced Kiev mutant yields.

The maximum metribuzin rate registered for lupins is 112 grams per hectare.

Andromeda* has proved extremely popular and the Council of Grain Grower Organisations sold out of this year's seed in December 2005.

Growers keen to grow it in 2007 should place their orders soon.

* Varieties that are protected under the Plant Breeders Rights Act 1994.

The Crop Doctor is GRDC Managing Director, Peter Reading