Pulses 2018 - an update for southern NSW

Take home messages

• Paddock selection is a critical management factor for growing pulse crops.
• Maintain soil pHCa above 5.5 in the top 0-10cm to maximise rhizobium nodulation, plant growth and potential grain yield.
• Sow early in the recommended sowing window on acidic soils of southern NSW.
• Follow herbicide label recommendations for in crop use and importantly plant-back periods for residual herbicides.
• Choose a variety based on yield ranking, disease resistance, seed size, and marketability for your area.
• Sow germination-tested, high quality seed at the recommended target plant densities.
• Increase target plant densities when sowing late in the sowing window.
• Follow Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA) and Pulse Australia disease management guidelines for southern NSW.
• Most chemicals are extremely toxic to rhizobia. Follow label recommendations.
• Prices can be volatile, therefore the benefits of pulses should be viewed across the rotation and the whole farming system.

ɸ Extra technical comment by Protech Consulting Pty Ltd

Pulse overview

Pulse crop research based at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute is a co-investment from NSW DPI and GRDC, covering all aspects of pulse growing, from breeding and variety evaluation, to applied agronomy research. The aim is to improve yield, adaptation, disease resistance and seed quality of five winter pulses — field pea, lupin, chickpea, faba bean and lentil. Only chickpea, lupin, faba bean and lentil will be reported on in this paper.

Chickpea update

Chickpea is a high value winter pulse often attracting a premium price over other pulse species due to demand, driven by human consumption. Chickpeas also contribute to crop rotations by fixing nitrogen (N), and by providing a disease and weed break for cereal crops. However, chickpea crops require systematic monitoring for foliar diseases and insect pests.

Chickpeas are well adapted to warm spring environments. They tolerate higher temperatures during and after flowering than other winter pulse crops such as faba beans, lupins and field peas.

Chickpeas are best suited to well-drained loams and self-mulching clay soils that are neutral to alkaline. Acidic soils with high aluminium (pHCa<5.2), also sodic, saline and/or shallow soils are generally not favourable for high pulse yield potential. Soils that have high chloride levels (>600mg/kg) in the subsoil (30-90cm depth) are best avoided.

Key messages

• Chickpeas can be grown successfully in southern NSW with effective management and favourable seasonal conditions.
• Paddock selection is critical in terms of pH, drainage, low N levels, herbicide residues and weeds.
• Paddocks with a history of legume pastures and broadleaf crops are at risk of phytophthora root rot and sclerotinia.
• Seed must be thoroughly treated with a thiram-based fungicide.
• Follow recommended inoculation guidelines.
• Sow chickpea from late April to mid-May in the western cropping region of southern NSW.
• Sow chickpea early to late May in the eastern cropping region of southern NSW.
• Target establishment densities of 35-45 plants/m2.
• Sowing depth of 5-7cm is required to avoid pre-emergent herbicide damage.
• Follow a disease management program, particularly for ascochyta blight (AB).
• Insect control and care in handling to avoid split and cracked grain are important to meet market specifications.

Variety selection

Many factors should be considered when choosing a variety, including maturity to suit the environment, disease susceptibility, paddock suitability, seed availability and cost, seed size and sowing rate, harvesting ease and marketing options. Refer to NSW DPI Winter Crop Sowing Guide for chickpea variety ratings for common chickpea diseases, variety characteristics and agronomic guidelines. A Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA) variety brochure or Variety Management Package (VMP) is available from Pulse Australia or the relevant seed supply company for each variety.

A change in the virulence of the AB pathogen was observed in Victoria (VIC) and South Australia (SA) in 2015 and 2016. This has resulted in separate AB resistance ratings for southern and northern Australia. In southern Australia, current varieties are rated as either susceptible (S) or moderately susceptible (MS) to AB infection. Although severe AB on resistant chickpea varieties (e.g. Genesis™ 090) was not observed in NSW in 2016, it is likely that, in time, more aggressive isolates will be found. It is imperative that recommended integrated disease management (IDM) packages for AB are followed.

Desi types for southern NSW

denotes Plant Breeder’s Rights (PBR) apply

Neelam

Resistant to AB, similar to Genesis™ 509 and Genesis™ 090, superior to PBA HatTrick and PBA Boundary in NSW (MS in VIC/SA). Susceptible (S) to phytophthora root rot, so not recommended for northern NSW. Marketed by Heritage Seeds. An End Point Royalty (EPR) of $4.40/tonne including GST applies.

PBA Slasher

Resistant to AB, similar to Genesis™ 509 and Genesis™ 090, superior to PBA HatTrick and PBA Boundary in NSW (MS in VIC/SA). S to phytophthora, so not recommended for northern NSW. High yielding variety across all southern and western Australian chickpea growing regions recommended and suited to areas south of Parkes. Semi-spreading plant type with mid-season maturity, similar to Howzat. Medium-sized desi with tan-brown seed coat suitable for the whole and split seed markets and marketed by Seednet. An EPR of $4.40/tonne including GST applies.

PBA Striker

Moderately resistant (MR) to AB, lower resistance than PBA Slasher in NSW (S in VIC/SA), S to phytophthora, so not recommended for northern NSW. High yielding variety in short season environments in southern and western Australian chickpea growing regions. Semi-spreading plant type with earlier flowering and maturity than PBA Slasher. Medium-sized desi with tan-brown seed coat suitable for the whole and split seed markets. Developed by PBA and marketed by Seednet. An EPR of $4.40/tonne including GST applies.

Kabuli types for southern NSW

Genesis™ 090

Resistant to AB, equal to Genesis™ 509 in NSW (MS in VIC/SA), broadly adapted. Very susceptible (VS) to phytophthora, suited only to areas with a low phytophthora risk. Seed size is smaller than Almaz, predominantly 7–8mm. Marketed by Australian Agricultural Crop Technologies. An EPR of $5.00/tonne including GST applies.

Table 1. National Variety Trials (NVT) long term results (2012-16) for chickpeas (desi) in the south east (Wagga Wagga site) area of southern NSW cropping zone. Yields are presented as a percentage of the site mean yield.

◊ denotes the chick pea varieties that performed very highly relative to the site mean yield.

▫ denotes the chick pea varieties that performed highly relative to the site mean yield.

∆ denotes the chick pea varieties that performed moderately relative to the site mean yield.

* denotes the chick pea varieties that performed low relative to the site mean yield.

● denotes the chick pea varieties that performed the very lowest relative to the site mean yield.

Table 2. NVT long term results (2012-16) for chickpeas (desi) in the south west (Rankins Springs site) area of southern NSW cropping zone. Yields are presented as a percentage of the site mean yield.

◊ denotes the chick pea varieties that performed very highly relative to the site mean yield.

▫ denotes the chick pea varieties that performed highly relative to the site mean yield.

∆ denotes the chick pea varieties that performed moderately relative to the site mean yield.

* denotes the chick pea varieties that performed the lowest relative to the site mean yield.

Lentil update

Background

Lentil is a superior pulse often attracting a premium price over most pulses due to its suitability for human consumption. Most pulses (and their associated symbiotic rhizobia) prefer neutral to alkaline soils. Lentil growth, development and rhizobia survival can be affected when soil pHCa drops below 5.2.

Lentil varieties have vastly improved over the past decade due to breeding efforts by PBA. New varieties with improved vigour, height, disease resistance, pod-shatter resistance and yield are now available. To complement these new varieties, agronomic management guidelines are being developed specifically for southern NSW soils and environments. Research into the specific agronomic management of sowing time and seeding rate is increasing the potential of lentil crops. This new generation of varieties, agronomic management and technical support has generated renewed interest in the crop in southern NSW and areas are expanding.

Key messages

• Lentils are now being grown successfully, commercially in southern NSW.
• Paddock selection is critical in terms of pH, drainage, herbicide residues, weeds and stones.
• Sow lentils from late April to mid-May in the western cropping region of southern NSW.
• Sow lentils early to late May in the eastern cropping region of southern NSW.
• Target establishment densities of 120 plants/m2.
• Sow into standing stubble to increase bottom pod height to assist with harvest.
• Roll the seedbed after sowing to increase harvest efficiency and quality.
• Sow at depths of 5-7cm to avoid pre-emergent herbicide damage.
• Follow a disease management program, particularly for botrytis grey mould (BGM).
• Insect control and timely desiccation, and harvest are necessary to optimise seed quality.
• Variety purity is critical for marketing purposes (max. 1% contamination with other varieties is allowed).

Sowing time

Sowing date is one of the most critical management factors for lentils. It determines early vigour, biomass accumulation and yield in southern NSW. Results from NSW DPI agronomy trials indicate the optimum time to sow lentils in southern NSW is:

• Late April through to mid-May in the western cropping region (later than lupins and faba beans, but earlier than field peas).
• Early to late May (7-10 days later than western region) in the eastern cropping region.

Sowing beyond these dates severely compromises plant biomass and yield. Previous research shows that delaying sowing by 10-20 days within these sowing windows severely reduced yields by up to 20%-40%, due to the increasing frequencies of dry finishes to the season over the past decade. Sowing earlier than the recommended dates increases disease risk, excessive lodging, and potential loss of seed quality.

Varieties

Variety selection should be based on grain yield, cotyledon colour and seed size. Current commercial varieties have either red or yellow cotyledons, which then fall into either small, medium or large seeded types (Table 3). The crop is marketed according to these criteria, with quality factors such as seed staining, splitting and impurities determining price.

The following varieties listed have performed well in experiments in southern NSW from 2012-2016.

EPR 2016-2017 quoted $/tonne GST inclusive.

Red lentil – PBA Ace

PBA Ace is a medium sized red lentil with grey seed colour. It is a mid-season lentil that has been the highest yielding across all areas, though it can be lower yielding in years with a dry finish or high temperatures. PBA Ace is best suited to longer season areas replacing Nugget and PBA Jumbo . It is resistant (R) to ascochyta and moderately resistant to moderately susceptible (MRMS) to BGM. It is intolerant to salinity and boron. High milling quality. Released 2012. PB Seeds.An EPR $5.50/tonne including GST applies.

Red lentil – PBA Bolt

PBA Bolt is a medium sized red lentil with grey seed colour, adapted to the lower-medium rainfall areas. While similar to PBA Flash with early-mid maturity and salinity tolerance, it is MR to foliar AB and R to seed AB. Its susceptibility to BGM makes it less suited to medium-high rainfall areas in wetter years and with early sowing. As with PBA Flash, PBA Bolt is a good variety for timely crop topping to control weeds. An erect habit and good lodging resistance make it easier to harvest in dry conditions. Released 2012. Marketed by PB Seeds. An EPR $5.50/tonne including GST applies.

Red lentil – PBA Hurricane XT

PBA Hurricane XT is a small sized red lentil with mid flowering and maturity. Like PBA Herald XT, it has tolerance to imazethapyr with an interim permit for pre-emergent or post-emergent application to 2017. It has improved tolerance to the herbicide flumetsulam plus reduced sensitivity to some Group B herbicides (sulfonylurea and imidazolinone) residues. It is important to note that growers must adhere to product label rates, plant-back periods and all label directions for use. PBA Hurricane XT is the highest yielding, small red lentil available in Australia and has improved yields over PBA Herald XT, Nipper and Nugget, but lower than PBA Ace. It is MR to foliar AB, R to seed AB and MS to BGM. Released 2013 (CIPAL1101). Marketed by PB Seeds.An EPR $5.50/tonne including GST applies.

Red lentil – PBA Jumbo2

PBA Jumbo2 is the highest yielding large seeded red lentil, approximately 10% higher than PBA Jumbo. It is a direct replacement for PBA Jumbo and Aldinga. It has a similar seed size to PBA Jumbo and Aldinga with a grey seed coat. It is mid flowering and has a maturity similar to PBA Jumbo. It is well suited to no-till inter-row sowing into standing stubble. It is R to AB and BGM. Tolerance to soil boron is similar to PBA Flash. PBA Jumbo2 is suited to medium to high rainfall regions where it produces uniform larger seed size well suited to premium large red split lentil markets. Released 2014 (CIPAL1203). Marketed by PB Seeds. An EPR $5.50/tonne including GST applies.

Green lentil – PBA Greenfield

The highest yielding, green lentil variety with yields similar to PBA Ace. PBA Greenfield is a medium sized green lentil broadly adapted but best suited to the medium rainfall lentil growing regions. It has improved tolerance to salinity and resistance to shattering, although timely harvest is still required. It is MRMS to foliar and seed AB and MR to BGM. Released 2014 (CIPAL1104). Marketed by PB Seeds. An EPR $5.50/tonne including GST applies.

Table 3. Lentil variety agronomic guide (may vary with sowing time and location).

R = resistant, MR=moderately resistant, MS=moderately susceptible, S=susceptible, VS=very susceptible, I=intolerant, MT= moderately tolerant, MI= moderately intolerant. * ratings relative to Nugget. Can flower and mature relatively earlier if sown early.

Analysis of long term trial data indicates PBA Jumbo2, PBA Greenfield and PBA Ace to be the best adapted, and highest yielding varieties in both the eastern, medium rainfall region of Wagga Wagga (Table 5) and the western, lower rainfall region (Table 7). Whilst the imi-tolerant PBA Hurricane XT is generally lower yielding than the conventional varieties, it is the variety of choice for new growers if weed control and herbicide residues are priority factors.

Table 4. NVT long term results (2012–16) for lentils in the south east (Wagga Wagga) area of southern NSW cropping zone. Yields are presented as a percentage of the site mean yield.

◊ denotes the lentil varieties that performed very highly relative to the site mean yield.

▫ denotes the lentil varieties that performed highly relative to the site mean yield.

∆ denotes the lentil varieties that performed moderately relative to the site mean yield.

* denotes the lentil varieties that performed low relative to the site mean yield.

● denotes the lentil varieties that preformed very low relative to the site mean yield.

¤ denotes the lentil varieties that performed the lowest relative to the site mean yield.

Table 5. NVT long term results (2012-16) for lentils in the south west (Rankins Springs and Methul) areas of southern NSW cropping zone. Yields are presented as a percentage of the site mean yield.

◊ denotes the lentil varieties that performed very highly relative to the site mean yield.

▫ denotes the lentil varieties that performed highly relative to the site mean yield.

∆ denotes the lentil varieties that performed moderately relative to the site mean yield.

* denotes the lentil varieties that performed low relative to the site mean yield.

● denotes the lentil varieties that performed very low relative to the site mean yield.

Sowing depth and herbicide sensitivity

Lentil has excellent seedling vigour, making it one of the quickest pulses to emerge and establish. Therefore, lentil seeds can be sown at a minimum 5-7cm to avoid potential damage from triazines. Care should be taken when applying and incorporating herbicides on acidic, light‑textured soils, as some herbicides can be more active and mobile in these situations. In these soils, it is advisable to apply herbicides at lower rates, pre-sowing, and sow seed deeper below the herbicide band (i.e. 5-7cm).

Seeding rates

Recommended target plant densities for lentils are 120 plants/m2. Therefore, seeding rates are adjusted according to seed size and germination. This approximates to 45-55kg/ha for small seeded varieties (e.g. PBA Hurricane XT), 55-70kg/ha for medium sized varieties (e.g. PBA Ace) and 75-90kg/ha for large seeded varieties (e.g. PBA Jumbo2 and PBA Giant).

Under less favourable conditions such as later sowing, marginal sowing moisture or poor seasons, increase seeding rates by 10%-20% to facilitate canopy closure, improve growth and grain yield.

Herbicide tolerant lentil varieties

There is a narrow range of registered herbicides for traditional lentil varieties. The release of PBA Herald XT and PBA Hurricane XT introduce tolerance to the Group B herbicide imazethapyr (e.g. Spinnaker®ɸ), thereby providing more weed control options in lentils. They also have improved tolerance to flumetsulam (e.g. Broadstrike®), as well as reduced sensitivity to residuals of some sulfonylurea (e.g. Glean®ɸ and Logran®) and imidazolinone herbicides (e.g. Raptor®). This provides some reassurance to lentil growers that production penalties due to herbicide residues from previous crops can be avoided.

ɸ Spinnaker is not registered for use in lentil and should not be used in commercial (i.e. non-research) situations. It was registered for use in lentil under permit PER14369, however this permit expired 31 August 2017

ɸ Glean is no longer registered for use in lentil. Use is for research purposes only.

It is very important that product label rates, plant-back periods for subsequent crops, and directions for use are adhered to when using these herbicides.

Disease and insect management

Ascochyta blight

(Ascochyta lentis) (AB) causes black lesions on the stem and the wilting of plants. Variety selection, seed treatment and fungicide sprays are important management practices.

Botrytis grey mould

(Botrytis cinerea) (BGM) is a serious disease in southern Australia. It attacks the base of the stem and the collar region of young plants, where a soft rot develops and then becomes covered with a fluffy grey mould. Infected seed is white and chalky in appearance.

Current varieties vary in their resistance to both AB and BGM. This should be taken into account when selecting a variety. High levels of BGM were observed in some crops in 2016.

Where there is high risk of BGM, growers using susceptible varieties must apply fungicides before canopy closure. Variety choice, delayed time of sowing and wider row spacing can assist in minimising BGM.

Viruses

Viruses can be avoided by implementing a suitable virus management strategy. It is important to test seed for cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) if symptoms were observed in the seed crop. Viruses are spread by aphids, which can multiply rapidly in lentil crops.

Seed treatment with imidacloprid, an early insecticide application, continued monitoring and action may be needed to avoid rapid aphid build up and virus spread both within the crop and to nearby crops. Thin crop stands are more attractive to aphids.

Insect damage severely reduces marketing options. Effective management of heliothis and etiella to prevent grain damage remains important.

Table 6. Disease rating for some current lentil varieties. Disease ratings from PBA, January 2015. No variety with a R rating is immune to disease, and fungicide application may be required under severe disease pressure.

Resistance order from best to worst: R > RMR > MR > MRMS > MS > MSS > S > SVS > VS.

p = provisional ratings - treat with caution. R = resistant, M = moderately, S = susceptible , V = very.

Faba bean update

Background

A large portion of the dryland and irrigated grain growing areas in southern NSW are well suited to faba beans. In 2016, faba beans showed that it is the pulse best adapted to withstand short to moderate periods of waterlogging. However, faba bean best suited to well drained, deep, neutral-alkaline, well-structured soils with no subsoil constraints. Avoid shallow depth, acidic (pHCa <5.2) or very light to sandy textured soils.

Faba bean key messages

Sowing time

• NSW DPI trial results show that sowing time is the most critical management factor for faba bean production in southern NSW, even in years of favourable springs. Sow from 20 April to 15 May in the south eastern dryland region. Aim for the first half of this window, especially in western areas. This maximises yield in crops that can produce 6-10t/ha dry matter (DM) with harvest indexes (HI %) of 30%-35%.
• Crops have yielded well when sown up to a week earlier than 20 April. However, under favourable, mild winter growing conditions, the resulting greater biomass increases the risk of yield loss from both frost damage and disease. In contrast, sowing past the recommended sowing date will delay maturity and expose the crop to moisture and heat stress at the end of the season, resulting in shorter plants, reduced biomass and number of flowering nodes, fewer pods, lower height of bottom pods, harvest difficulties and low yields.

Seeding rate

• A target plant establishment of 20-35 plants/m2 is recommended for southern dryland and 20-30 plants/m2 for southern irrigated faba bean crops. However, if sowing late in the sowing window it becomes important to increase seeding rates to 30-40 plants/m2 to maximise yield potential in a short spring.

Variety

Choice of variety is based on yield ranking, seed size, disease resistance and marketability.

PBA Samira and PBA Zahra are recent releases and higher yielding than Farah and Fiesta VF. Both have improved resistance to ascochyta and are less susceptible to chocolate spot and rust than Fiesta VF and Farah. The main difference between the two is seed size — PBA Samira has smaller seeds than PBA Zahra (60-65g/100 seeds compared with 65-75g/100 seeds). Depending on sowing equipment, PBA Samira may be easier to sow because of its smaller seeds.

PBA Zahra and PBA Samira have early vigour and high biomass compared with other varieties. PBA Rana is lower yielding, possibly due to its marginally longer growing season and later flowering compared with the other varieties. This is a disadvantage in short, dry springs.

PBA Nasma is a variety released for northern NSW which has performed very well in the south in recent seasons. While it is S to both chocolate spot and AB, it has high grain yield potential in southern NSW when disease management guidelines are followed. NSW DPI’s research has shown that PBA Nasma has a significantly longer flowering period than PBA Samira and PBA Zahra. This wide flowering window results in a significantly larger number of podding nodes, and therefore potentially higher yield, and some insurance against environmental extremes during flowering. PBA Nasma displays strong lodging resistance compared to PBA Samira in high biomass situations. This characteristic enables more effective fungicide penetration and potential for improved disease control.

Table 7. NVT long term results (2012-16) for selected faba bean varieties in southern NSW. Yields are presented as a percentage of the site mean yield.

◊ denotes the faba bean varieties that performed very highly relative to the site mean yield.

▫ denotes the faba bean varieties that performed highly relative to the site mean yield.

∆ denotes the faba bean varieties that performed moderately relative to the site mean yield.

* denotes the faba bean varieties that performed low relative to the site mean yield.

● denotes the faba bean varieties that preformed very low relative to the site mean yield.

¤ denotes the faba bean varieties that performed the lowest relative to the site mean yield.

Lupin update

Background

Lupin production is suited to the well-drained, medium to lighter soil types in central and southern NSW. Lupins can be a low-input pulse option in both cropping and mixed cropping-livestock farming systems.

Two species of lupins, narrow-leaf (Lupinus angustifolius) and albus (L. albus), are widely grown. The NSW DPI Southern Pulse Survey 2015-16 indicated that lupins make up 49% of the southern NSW pulse area. Narrow-leaf lupins are moderately tolerant to soil acidity (pHCa >4.5). However, growth and development (and survival of rhizobia) can be affected when soil pHCa drops below 5.

Albus lupins are less tolerant of acid soils than narrow-leaf lupins and can accumulate high manganese levels in the grain when grown in high manganese soils. Albus lupins are more susceptible to waterlogging than narrow-leaf lupins, which was evident in some paddocks in 2016.

Key lupin messages

• The fungal disease anthracnose was detected for the first time in commercial albus lupin crops in NSW in 2016. The disease was confined to a small number of properties in southern NSW with restrictions in place. Lupin production can continue for the remainder of NSW outside the restriction zones.
• Wonga, PBA Jurien and PBA Barlock are R to anthracnose, whilst PBA Gunyidi (MR-R) and Mandelup (MR) are slightly more S. All other narrow-leaf and albus lupin varieties are VS to anthracnose.
• All current lupin varieties are susceptible to frost damage. Lupins are most vulnerable during the reproductive phase, which occurs once stem elongation is initiated. Frost damage risk can be reduced by not sowing varieties earlier than the recommended sowing window and so avoid flowering in July to early August. However, in most lupin growing areas of southern NSW, sowing before late April increases the risk of frost damage with early flowering varieties such as Mandelup.
• Current angustifolius (narrowleaf) varieties vary in their resistance rating for phomopsis. If lupin stubble grazing is required, it is recommended to grow a variety with the R rating for phomopsis.
• Maintain soil pHCa above 5.2 to maximise plant health and potential grain yield.
• Well drained soils are essential for albus lupins.
• Always conduct a germination test on seed and adjust the sowing rate accordingly. Sowing quality seed is critical to achieving adequate plant density and high yields.
• Insect management during pod fill is critical to produce export quality albus lupins.
• High shattering losses can occur when harvest is delayed past maturity, particularly in early maturing varieties such as Mandelup.

Lupin anthracnose in 2018

This destructive disease was detected for the first time in commercial lupin crops in NSW in 2016 and is confined to a small number of properties in southern NSW with restrictions in place. Lupin production can continue for the remainder of NSW outside the restriction zones. Crop inspections during the 2017 season found no positive identification of anthracnose.

A continuation of the five point management plan in 2018 is recommended for all lupin producers in NSW to prevent establishment and spread of the disease. This will be reviewed at the end of the 2018 season.

1. Treat seed for sowing with a fungicide seed treatment containing thiram.
2. Ensure a buffer zone of 500m between the 2018 lupin crop and last year’s lupin stubble.
3. Control volunteer lupins on your property.
4. Control machinery and people movement into and out of lupin crops and use appropriate biosecurity measures.
5. Apply a foliar fungicide at 6-8 weeks post emergence (with a grass spray) using fungicides containing mancozeb, chlorothalonilɸ or azoxystrobinɸ, as per label product instructions, and a follow up at pre-canopy closure.
6. Growers are encouraged to inspect lupin crops regularly and report any unusual disease symptoms.

ɸ Products containing either chlorothalonil or azoxystrobin are not registered for use on lupin. Use is for research purposes only.

Variety selection

Select lupin varieties depending on yield potential for your environment and resistance to diseases that cause regular problems in your area. PBA Bateman (narrow leaf) and Murringo (albus) lupins were both released in 2017 by PBA and NSW DPI, respectively. Limited quantities will be available for the 2018 season through Seednet. For further lupin variety information and agronomic guidelines, refer to the NSW DPI Winter Crop Variety Sowing Guide 2017.

Narrow-leaf lupin - PBA Bateman

A new variety with limited availability in the 2018 season. It offers significant yield improvements over current varieties, particularly in the eastern cropping zones of NSW where virus infection from cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) can cause significant yield loss in susceptible varieties when seasonal conditions are conducive to high aphid numbers. Marketed by Seednet. An EPR of $2.86/tonne including GST applies.

Albus lupin - Murringo

Released by NSW DPI in 2017. Murringo is a mid-flowering albus lupin that is overall the highest yielding variety tested across NSW in trials conducted 2008-2015. It has moderate resistance to pleiochaeta root rot and phomopsis. Murringo is susceptible to anthracnose. Marketed by Seednet. An EPR of $3.52/tonne including GST applies.

Table 8. NVT long term results (2012-16) for narrow leafed lupins in NSW. Yields are presented as a percentage of the site mean yield.

◊ denotes the narrow leaf lupin varieties that performed very highly relative to the site mean yield.

▫ denotes the narrow leaf lupin varieties that performed highly relative to the site mean yield.

▫  denotes the narrow leaf lupin varieties that performed moderately relative to the site mean yield.

* denotes the narrow leaf lupin varieties that performed low relative to the site mean yield.

● denotes the narrow leaf lupin varieties that performed very low relative to the site mean yield.

Table 9. Lupin (angustifolius) characteristics Table(Source: Agriculture and Food, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Western Australia (WA) and PBA Lupin Breeding Program, South Perth, WA, 2013-16)

M = moderately, S = susceptible, R = resistant, VT = very tolerant, T = tolerant, IT = intolerant, CMV = cucumber mosaic virus, BYMV = bean yellow mosaic virus, GLS = grey leaf spot.

Weed control

There is a range of herbicides to control both broadleaf and grass and cereal weeds in lupins. Sowing early and successful crop establishment are essential to achieve more effective results from herbicides.

Yield loss due to herbicide damage of lupin crops has been observed from both residual herbicides applied before cereal crops and from in-crop herbicides. Plants weakened by herbicides are more susceptible to root and foliar diseases such as phytophthora root rot, pleiochaeta root rot and brown leaf spot. Note that herbicides known to cause yield loss in lupin crops include:

• Sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides (e.g. Glean®ɸ or Logran®) applied to preceding cereal crops. Take special note of label instructions concerning crop rotation and plant-back periods, as environmental and soil conditions affect herbicide breakdown, particularly on high pH and/or compacted soils, and after prolonged periods of low rainfall or drought. Note that surface application of lime that is not thoroughly incorporated can result in elevated pH in the surface soil and delay SU breakdown.
• Triazine herbicides (e.g. simazine). Be aware that application rates vary significantly on different soil types. Follow label recommendations and avoid spray overlaps. Albus lupin more sensitive to triazine damage than angustifolius.
• Clopyralid (e.g. Lontrel®) applied to preceding cereal crops. Clopyralid can carry over in straw and affect subsequent crops.
• Metosulam(e.g. Eclipse®). Damage can occur in-crop if applied beyond the recommended growth stage. Some varieties are sensitive and have narrow safety margins. Follow label recommendations.
• For more detailed information on current weed control and plant-back recommendations, refer to pesticide labels and NSW DPI guide Weed control in winter crops.

ɸ Glean is no longer registered for use in lupin. Use is for research purposes only.

Acid soils implications

Most pulse production in southern NSW occurs on acidic soils where pH stratification can have production impacts when growing pulse crops. It is important to reduce production risk by measuring soil characteristics to optimise paddock selection. Recent research conducted by Burns et al. (2017) has found soil pH measured from standard sampling depths of 0-10cm and 10-20cm does not detect pH stratification. In a recently conducted survey, with finer sampling at 5cm intervals, severely acidic layers were detected at 5-10cm and 10-15cm across a range of soil types in central and southern NSW. Soil sampling at 5cm intervals is recommended to identify the location of acidic layers, followed by testing at three to five year intervals to monitor pH trends and to provide confidence in adjusting lime rates.

Incorporation of adequate rates of lime to a depth of 10cm is recommended to facilitate amelioration of acidity at 5-15cm. The research results indicate that root growth, nodulation, plant vigour and N2 fixation potential of acid-sensitive pulses is adversely affected by moderately (pHCa 4.5 – 5.0) and severely (pHCa <4.5) acidic layers in the top 5-20cm of soil.

Further Information

NSW DPI Winter crop variety sowing guide 2017

NSW DPI Weed control in winter crops 2017

Insect and mite control in field crops

Pulses: putting life into the farming system (case studies).

NSW DPI Southern NSW Research Results 2014

NSW DPI Southern NSW Research Results 2015

NSW DPI Southern NSW Research Results 2017

Various NSW DPI Crop Agfacts

Pulse Australia

NVT trial results

www.grdc.com.au

Inoculating legumes: A practical guide - GRDC

GRDC GrowNotesTM

References

HM Burns, MR Norton, BJ Scott and P Tyndall (2017). Stratified pH in soil surface signals need to revisit acidic soil management. In: Proceedings of the 30th Conference of the Grassland Society of NSW Inc.

Lindbeck K, Moore K, Richards M, O’Connor G (2017). Pulse Diseases – The ‘Watch Outs’ for 2017 In: Proceedings of 2017 Wagga Wagga Grains Research Update. 14 - 15 February, 2016

NSW DPI Winter crop variety sowing guide 2016

Victorian winter crop summary 2016 – Lentil, Vic DEDJTR

Acknowledgements

The research reported in this paper is made possible by significant contributions of growers through both trial cooperation and the support of GRDC — the author would like to thank them for their continued support.

Contact details

Mark Richards
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute
Pine Gully Road, Wagga Wagga 2650
0269 381831
mark.richards@dpi.nsw.gov.au
@NSWDPI_Agronomy