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Effect of size grading on lupin productivity

K. McCarthy and R. Delane

Western Australian Department of Agriculture, PO Box 11, Geraldton WA 6530

Previous work into the influence of lupin seed size on crop performance has shown significant increases in plant establishment, plant yield and seed yield where large seeds (>155 g/1,000) have been compared to small seeds (<135 g/1,000) (1). Current work compared the field performance of an ungraded seedlot of average size (145 g/1,000) (2) to the graded fraction (180 g/1,000) at two sowing rates which produced optimal (>40 plants/n-12) and sub-optimal (<25 plants/m2) plant densities.

Methods

An ungraded seedlot of narrow-leafed lupin, Lupinus angustifolius cv. Gungurru, of average size (145 g/1,000) was graded on an air forced gravity table with a 5 mm sieve to produce a sample with a mean seed weight of 180 g/1,000 seeds. Seeding rates of 40 and 120 kg/ha were used and the experiment was repeated at three sites in the major lupin producing areas of Western Australia.

Results and discussion

There were no increases in plant establishment (P<0.05), plant yield or seed yield through size grading at optimal or sub-optimal plant densities (Table 1). It appears unlikely that the field performance of clean lupin seed of average size (145 g/1,000) will be improved through grading.

Table 1. Effect of size grading on plant establishment, plant yield and seed yield at a sowing rate of 40 kg/ha and 120 kg/ha. Data for the sowing rate of 120 kg/ha appears in parentheses.

Acknowledgements

The financial support from Grains Research and Development Corporation (WA) and Grain Legumes Research Corporation and technical support from Mrs A. Doswell are acknowledged.

References

Delane, R., French, B. and McCarthy, K. 1989. Proc. 5th Aust. Agron. Conf., Perth, p. 495.

Gladstones, J.S. 1989. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. 29, 913-914.

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