Blue (Narrow-leaved) Lupin—L. angustifolius. Grown commercially in northern
Europe, New Zealand, southeastern North America, France, South Africa and
southwest Australia. Flowers light to dark blue, tinged with purple, or sometimes
pink or white. 20–150 cm tall.
Yellow Lupin—L. luteus. Grown to a limited extent on sandy soils in northern
Europe, South Africa, Australia, Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean coast.
Flowers are a bright golden yellow. 20 80 cm tall.
Sand Plain or West Australian Blue Lupin—L. cosentinii. Grown in northwest
Africa, southwest Spain, south Portugal and Australia. Flowers are bright blue, with
a yellow spot on the standard. Very vigorous growth. 20–120 cm tall.
Egyptian Lupin—L. termis. Grown in Sudan on flooded land which is too hard or
saline for other crops. The grain is mildly bitter and poisonous when raw, but is
edible after soaking and boiling.The entire global production of lupin seed constitutes less than 2% of the total
reported production of grain legumes, and they are normally grown for human food
only in subsistence farming situations. The major producers are Russia, Poland,
Australia, South Africa and Italy.PLANTING
Soil: lupins generally prefer well drained, acid to neutral soil (classified as “tolerant”
to soil acidity), without free lime, though each species has slightly different needs:- L. albus—the most susceptible to waterlogging, though it tolerates some salinity.
- L. mutabilis—tolerates sandy and acid soils.
- L. luteus—better adapted to infertile soils, with pH below 6.5–7.
L. cosentinii—susceptible to Molybdenum deficiency, fairly tolerant of infertile
soils.
All species of Lupins need plenty of phosphate and sulphur; about 200 kg/ha of
22% superphosphate is often recommended, with an additional 50 kg/ha of potash in
soils where potassium levels are low.
Lupins are an excellent green manure crop, and can fix 400 kg/ha or more of
Nitrogen. This crop could be much more widely grown in various crop rotation
Seed rate: some examples have been quoted, in kg/ha:L. luteus—45–67 (North America), 67–78 (South Africa).
Approx. 3–4,000 seeds/kg.
Spacing: 10–20 cm between plants, 15–20 cm between rows. The seed is often
broadcast, especially when sown as a green manure crop.
Rotation: should not be grown on the same land more than once in four years.- L. angustifolius—best on moderately acid/neutral soils, and needs plenty of P and K.
systems, both to increase the Nitrogen level and the organic matter content of soils.279
L. angustifolius—67–90 (North America), 67–78 (South Africa).
L. albus—179 (North America), 106 (South Africa).
An average seed rate of about 90 kg/ha can be used as a general guide.