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Alan Meldrum, Pulse Development Officer, Western Australia, for the GRDC-supported Pulse Australia, with narrow-leafed lupin Jenabillup, bred for the south and south-east coastal zones of Western Australia

Like every crop, lupins require attention to detail to realise their ongoing benefits for farm profitability, says Alan Meldrum, Pulse Development Officer with the Grains Research and Development Corporation supported Pulse Australia.

Here are his steps to a successful crop:

1. Start with healthy seed from a well-grown crop, without obvious deficiencies.
2. Apply fungicide seed dressing to combat brown leaf spot and maybe thiram for anthracnose.
3. Guarantee nitrogen production by inoculating the seed.
4. Maximise retained stubble to combat brown leaf spot and retain moisture. Keep seeding rate at about 100 kg/ha to maintain weed competition. 
5. Dry sowing isn't mandatory. Total reliance on in-crop herbicides for weed control can lead to major problems with reliable yields, herbicide resistance and weed burdens. With early maturing varieties such as Mandelup, Coromup and Jenabillup, you can achieve a knockdown before sowing if the break is early. 
6. Plant lupins into paddocks with a low weed burden to avoid a weed blowout

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