Lupin is mainly grown on sandy soils. It is an easy crop that only needs moisture to germinate. For use as a main crop for forage or green manure is can be sown from the middle of April onwards. If used as an early sown second crop it can give a very high yield.
Like other legumes, blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) fixes nitrogen in a symbiotic interaction with bacteria in the rhizosphere. The plant is used as cover crop or as a grain legume for animal feed or human consumption. However, we only have varieties in our portfolio that are used as cover crop or as animal feed. Varieties low in alkaloids can be used for livestock or human consumption. Due to its ability to fix nitrogen and its low nutrient requirement this plant is suitable to be sown on marginal fields as an improvement of the soil. Additionally, lupins have strong roots, which can reduce the compaction of soil.
Yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus) can be used as a green manure crop on sandy soils. The crop has little nutritional requirements, therefore it can be grown on marginal fields. Specifically, soils with a fairly low pH are tolerated. It does not suffer from wildlife damage due to its bitter taste. It does not tolerate frost.
White lupin (Lupinus albus) is an annual plant, 30 to 120 cm high. There are winter and spring forms of white lupin. Duration of growing period under spring sowing varies from 106 to 180 days. A number of varieties are cultivated only as ornamental plants, but others are grown for fodder and if not over-fed, are found to be highly nutritious and palatable. If the mature seeds of certain varieties are eaten, poisoning is liable to occur due to the high content of alkaloids in certain lupine varieties.
