PULSE Breeding Australia (PBA) will release a new lupin variety next month, targeted for the west Midlands zone.
But will it be enough to convince farmers that lupins should remain in their cropping rotation?
Hearing the mumbles among farmers at the recent Northern Agri Group (NAG) spring field day might suggest a national lupin breeding program for southern Australia is a bit late.
GRDC western panel deputy chairman Dr Mike Ewing also picked up negative sentiments among growers when he said in a recent GRDC media release that growers in northern and eastern areas of the Geraldton port zone were being challenged by dry conditions this season.
"Many discussions with growers centred around understanding what tools are available to reduce risk, and what research and development could help them combat variable seasons," he said.
A number of growers emphasised the need to be able to maintain diversity in their farming systems, by having access to profitable break crop options or through mixed farming systems.
"Many growers in lower rainfall areas want low risk production systems developed for canola, and in sandplain farming areas there was discussion about the ongoing role and economics of lupins."
Canola could well be the new lupins in the northern Wheatbelt as a break crop, especially after NAG members enthusiastically discussed the wide-spaced canola trials.
Lupins also have been successfully grown on wide spacings up to 60cm (24in) but in recent years low farmgate returns have placed increasing pressure on lupins as a mainstay in a cereal rotation. The new lupin variety, currently known as WALAN2325, is earmarked for public naming and release on September 10.
According to PBA, trials in WA from 2008 to 2012 show WALAN2325 yields up to 12 per cent more than Tanjil.
It also has metribuzin-tolerance for enhanced broadleaf weed control and resistance to anthracnose similar to Tanjil.
WALAN2325 is expected to replace Tanjil in WA, but is broadly adapted to all parts of southern Australia.
According to PBA there will be enough seed available to allow WA growers to start bulking up the variety in 2014.
At the NAG field day, growers were told WALAN2325 also was a better performer than the Mandalup variety.
There also was discussion at another trial site growing the Gunyidi variety.
It was described as slow-growing with poor early pod height with the issue of whether pods would be high enough to harvest.
There were thoughts that wide-spaced plants would encourage more height.